Matthew 7:24
24 “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation had been laid on rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed—it was utterly destroyed!” 28 When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 29 because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law.
Avot D'Rabbi Natan 24
MishnahElisha ben Abuyah would say: A person who has done good deeds and has learned a lot of Torah, what is he like? Like a person who builds by placing stones down first and then setting bricks on top. Even if a flood comes, the building will stand firm and not be washed away from its place. And a person who has not done good deeds but has learned Torah, what is he like? Like a person who builds by placing the bricks down first, and then placing stones on top. Even if a little water comes, it will topple the building right away. He would also say: A person who has done good deeds and learned a lot of Torah, what is he like? Like bricks coated with plaster. Even if heavy rains fall on them, they will not move from their place. A person who has not done good deeds but has learned a lot of Torah is like bricks coated with plaster. Even if light rains fall on them, they crumble right away.
Notes and References
"... Rabbinic parallels enhance our understanding of the sayings of Jesus, and vice versa. Jesus' parable below is more understandable when compared with its rabbinic parallels, and the rabbinic sayings are illuminated by Jesus' parable. Jesus was not Lhe only ancient sage to teach with parables. Nor was he the only sage to speak of 'two kinds of foundations,' the theme that good deeds are necessary along with knowledge . Many sages expressed this theme straightforwardly. Hanini ben Dosa, who taught around the middle of the first century A.D. said: 'He who has more deeds than knowledge, his knowledge endures; but he who has more knowledge than deeds, his knowledge does not endure' (Mishnah, Avot 3:10). The same idea is presented more elaborately in the following parable attributed to Elisha ben Avuyah (circa 120 A.D.): 'A person in whom there are good deeds and who has studied Torah extensively, what is he like? A man who builds first [of] stones and then afterwords [of] mud bricks. Even if a large quantity of water were to collect beside the stones, it would not destroy them. But a person in whom there are not good deeds, though he has studied Torah, what is he like? A man who builds first [of] mud bricks and then aftenvards [of] stones. Even if only a little water collects, it immediately undermines them' (Avot de-Rabbi Nat.an 24, Version A) ..."
Biven, David Rabbinic Parallels (p. 14) Jerusalem Perspective, Vol. 3, No. 5, 1990