Matthew 7:26

“And every one who hears these words of mine,

And does not do them,”

In contrast are not those who do not hear His words, but those who do hear them but do not do them. The words are firmly addressed to would be disciples. There is no sadder picture that these people who hear the words of life, take them in, but do not live them out because they have not allowed them to take root in their hearts (compare Matthew 13:4).

Matthew 7:26 b

“Will be likened to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand,”

Such people are like a foolish man who builds his house on sand. He could not take the trouble to establish foundations. It was not where he built that was different (both paced the same floods) but how he built. He found Jesus' words attractive but did not take them to heart. He built his beliefs on the sand of a failing world, rather than on the rock of Christ's Lordship.