As I previously stated, the Sermon on the Mount is a direct repudiation of religion. That could not be more clear in these next verses.
In these verses Jesus contrasts the difference between what people say and what they do. There are those who say Jesus is their master, but it is evident by their actions that He isn’t. The distinction is that some sound religious and look religious; but they have no real relationship with God, because they are not doing the will of the Father.
In Luke 18:9-14 the writer says that when Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the publican he was talking “unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, but despised others.” In other words, they were trusting in the things that they did to make them righteous. But the condemning thing was that they despised those who were the recipients of their good works. They gave to the poor, but not because they had compassion on them. They didn’t care about the poor. They only cared about how their actions made them appear righteous to others. Jesus makes it clear in the parable that the Pharisee received no credit for the good things he may have done, because his reasons for doing them were wrong. In fact, if we look honestly at this question, we can build a case for the fact that none of us should think that God owes us for anything we might do, because He doesn’t (Luke 17:7-10).
The inference here is that on the day of judgment many will come before the Lord expecting to gain entrance into His kingdom because of the things they have done. But at that time Jesus is going to look past the things they did and look at the reasons why they did them. It is at this point that the “many” Jesus is talking about in this verse are going to be condemned.
Even though they said that their works were done in Jesus name, it is evident that there is a serious problem here. The phrase “in Your name” is significant. It implies that all these things were conformable to His character and nature. Jesus is perfectly selfless in character and nature - everything He was in character was for our benefit, and everything He did was directed at our need.
It is obvious, then, that Jesus recognizes the fact that these things were not done in order to satisfy the will of the Father, but for some kind of personal gain. And so the works and the ones who did them are both rejected.
The verb “will profess” is interesting here. It is in the future tense, which in Greek grammar implies not just a future time but a specific action. This indicates that when Jesus speaks to them that day it will be the first time that they have ever heard him speak. This is consistent with his statement to them “I never knew you.”
But it is the last phrase in this paragraph that ties it all together. “Ye that work iniquity” is how Jesus describes those who don’t know him and don’t do the will of the Father. This phrase illustrates wrong motivation. The word “work” is ergazomai, which means to work, labor or perform with the intention of gaining something for what you have done. “Iniquity” is anomia, a word used to describe a rejection or transgression of the law. In this context, it refers clear back to 5:17-20, where Jesus talked about the principles of the Law being more important than the rules.
Therefore, those who “work iniquity” are those who do what they do expecting to gain something for themselves, and the things that they do continually violate the spirit or intent of the law. Their goal is not to please the Father or meet the needs of others. Those who work iniquity do the right things, but for the wrong reason (Matthew 23:23-28).
In concluding his message on the Kingdom, Jesus uses one last comparison - the wise man and the foolish man. The wise man “hears” (akouo) the sayings of Jesus in a specific way: that is, he understands the value of them and purposes to follow them for that reason. He hears with the intention of putting what he hears to practical use, because he recognizes the wisdom of it. The word “wise” (phronimos) illustrates the same basic idea, because it implies practical wisdom. In this verse the wise man uses the instructions of Jesus to build his “house” (oikia); used here to illustrate a life built on a solid foundation (a rock).
To complete his illustration, Jesus continues to use figurative language to describe what happens to a wise man’s life when it must endure testing. The rain, floods and winds all represent a variety of things that can occur to put pressure on relationships. The rain that descends are the sudden, unexpected occurrences; such as, a harsh word, a misunderstanding, or an unintentional or even intentional offense that can strain a relationship. The floods that come are the more serious and more difficult circumstances: an extended illness, the loss of a loved one or the betrayal of a friend, all of which may interrupt or end a relationship.
The winds that blow represent a multitude of things that may influence relationships in a negative way; such as, wrong advice from well-intentioned people, unsound doctrinal teaching, and worldly philosophy. All of these things test the strength of relationships. The point here is that when a wise man builds these relationships on the solid foundation of Jesus’ words, he has the ability to cope with all the things that happen to every one of us and still keep his relationships (his life) together.
The foolish man hears the words of Jesus, but doesn’t build his life on them. The word “foolish” (aphron) means reckless in mind or irresponsible. He builds his life on sand (ammos), used here to illustrate an insecure foundation. The foolish man rejects God and builds his life on the shifting, ever-changing ideas that come from every Godless source imaginable. He is irresponsible because he relies on his own fleshly wisdom, the philosophy of the world and the inspiration of devilish schemes to guide his life and literally puts himself and others in the path of destruction, because none of those things prepare him to deal with the pressures that always come.
Now, when the same pressures are brought to bear on this life, it unravels. The foolish man doesn’t know how to deal with his problems. He can’t resolve conflicts, because none of the things he is trusting in tell him how. He can’t deal with pressure, because he has no faith. His life is a series of setbacks, disappointments and frustrations. In addition to this, Jesus describes the fall of this house as “great” (megas), meaning that the fall did not affect just the foolish man, but many others who were connected to his life.