Judging Others (Matthew 7:1-6)
“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
With the analogy of the speck and the log, Jesus is teaching us that we must deal honestly with our own sin before correcting someone else’s. Don’t judge other hypocritically.
This does not prohibit all types of judging (you will know them by their fruits- v. 16). There is righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise with careful discernment (the ability to recognize and distinguish between truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil). Censorious (being harshly critical of others, especially in a self-righteous or fault-finding way), hypocritical, self-righteous and other kinds of unfair judgments are forbidden, but in order to fulfill the commandments that follow, it is necessary to discern “dogs and swine” from ones own brethren.
In context, “dogs” and “swine” refer to people who treat sacred truth with contempt, hostility, or hardened rejection.
This refers not to “enemies” as mention in (v. 5:44), it governs how one handles the gospel in the face of those who hate the truth. That’s why Jesus Himself did not do miracles for unbelievers (v. 13:58).
Ask, And It Will Be Given (Matthew 7:7-12)
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Therefore, in all things, whatever you want people to do for you, so do for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
In context (Matthew 5–7), Jesus is speaking about: Righteousness, the Kingdom of God, true relationship with the Father, forgiveness and spiritual life.
This is not a blank check for material desires. He gives you what you need.
It is primarily about: Salvation, spiritual wisdom, righteousness, God’s grace, The Holy Spirit.
If earthly fathers give what their sons need, will not God give to His sons what they ask. Ironically, God gave His Son so that others could become His sons through Him.
Of all of the versions of the Golden Rule through the years, Jesus made it a positive command that aptly summarizes the whole gist of ethical principles contained by the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:13-14)
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.“
There are two gates, two ways, two destinations and two groups of people.
Both the narrow gate and the wide gate are assumed to provide the entrance to God’s kingdom. Two ways are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, only through Christ, constricted and precise. It represents true salvation in God’s way that leads to life eternal.
The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness, with no single way, but it leads to hell, not heaven.
Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following Him. Salvation is by grace alone, but it is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and words; a way that many do not or will not do.
Tree and Its Fruit (Matthew 7:15-23)
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)
There are two kinds of trees and two kinds of fruit.
False prophets deceive not by disguising themselves as sheep, by by impersonating true shepherds. They promote the wide gate and wide way that leads to destruction. Sheep’s clothing may refer to the woolen attire that was the characteristic garb of a shepherd.
False doctrine cannot restrain the flesh, so false prophets manifest wickedness. False teaching cannot produce real holiness, so false teachers eventually show sinful fruit- teaching that is not aligned with God’s truth. It may sound spiritual, but it lacks the power to change the heart. Only truth can change the heart. Because it doesn’t transform the inside, it cannot control sinful desires (“the flesh”).
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
The barrenness of this sort of faith demonstrates its real character- ‘So then, you will know them by their fruits.(v. 2)- the faith that says but does not do is really unbelief.
Jesus was not suggesting works are meritorious for salvation, but that true faith will not fail to produce the fruit of good works.
The whole confidence of these people was in their works… not authentic. No one so lacking of genuine faith could possibly produce true good works. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit (v. 18).
All sin is lawlessness… rebellion against the law of God.
The key phrase from Jesus is “I never knew you.”
To “know” Jesus is to have a personal and infinite relationship with Him through the scripture and in prayer, which produces good fruit.
Build Your House on the Rock (Matthew 7:24-29)
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall. Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
The house represents a religious life; the rain represents divine judgment. Only the house built on the foundation of obedience to God’s Word stands; which calls for repentance, rejection of salvation by works, and trust in God’s grace to save through His merciful provision.
The scribes quoted others to establish the authority of their teachings. Jesus was His own authority. This matter of authority was a major issue between Jesus and the Jews, who felt their authority challenged.
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