Discussion of this chapter concludes the lessons on the Sermon on the Mount. But when we get to Chapter 7 specifically, it looks like a miscellaneous collection of sayings:
Don't judge (1-5)
Don't cast your pearls before swine (6)
Asking of God (7-11)
The Golden Rule (12)
The Narrow and Wide Gates (13-14)
False Prophets (15-20)
Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” (21-23)
Parable of the Houses on Rock and Sand (24-27)
But actually, it is just as organized as the rest of Matthew's Gospel:
Human Judgment: A. Do not be judgmental. B. Show discernment
II. Ask of God and He will give it (“Father in heaven,” agathos [2x])
III. The Two Great Commandments
II'. Not everyone who asks will receive (“Father in heaven,” agathos [2x])
I'. God's Judgment: B. The Wise A. The Foolish
Matthew 7:1-5 A question arises concerning these verses. Why shouldn't we judge others? There is a threat involved. Discuss the implications of the threat mentioned. What does it mean?
1. We will be subjected by God to the same kind of nitpicking judgment we mete out to others.
2. God will judge us for our sinful act of judging others.
3. Others will do the same to us, including judging us for our judgmental attitude.
4. Those with a judgmental attitude go through life fearing that others will treat them the same way.
5. We will judge ourselves by the same strict standards we apply to others. (Sometimes those who are
hypercritical of others are equally rough on themselves.)
6. Because of our own faults, we can't discern clearly enough to do a proper job (v. 5) But verse 5 does indicate that it can be done if the intent is to help the other party, not just condemn them.
Matthew 7:6 This proverb makes the most sense if it is diagrammed as follows:
A. Do not give what is holy to dogs,
B. and do not throw your pearls before swine,
B'. or they will trample them under foot
A'. And turn and maul you.
The early 1st century document Teachings of the 12 Apostles applied this to keeping communion from
unbelievers. The background is the fact that the Jewish sacrifices which were to be eaten by priests, not
unclean dogs.
Does anyone besides me see a potential conflict between this verse and the previous five verses?
What constitutes “judgment?” Verse 6 requires making a judgment call, using discernment. How is this
different from passing judgment on another person?
Luke's version of Sermon on the Mount: Luke 6:37 judging = condemning, the opposite of forgiving
Romans 14:10 passing judgment = despising your brother.
James 4:11-12 judging = speaking evil against someone and judging the law. (What does it mean to
judge the law? You are breaking the law to love one's neighbor and thus judging that law not to apply
to you. You are thus setting yourself up as God the lawmaker instead of one whose role is to be the law-
doer.)
What are the prerequisites for Christian judging?
Matthew 7:5 Take out the beam in your own eye first. Counter the temptation to judge others by
looking at our own actions rather than theirs (Romans 14:13).
John 5:30 Christ's judgment is just because he seeks to do God's will, not his own. Thus, we should
seek God's will, not our own.
John 7:24; James 2:1-4 Don't judge by appearances, but use right, or righteous, judgment.
Romans 1:24-33 Don't condemn others for faults that are listed alongside those we ourselves have.
For example, gossiping is listed here along with homosexual acts.
Romans 2:1-4 Don't condemn others for faults we have ourselves.
Romans 14:1-5 Don't pass judgment over minor doctrinal or behavioral differences.
Whom are we to judge?
I Corinthians 11:27-32 judging ourselves
I Corinthians 5:9-13 It is not those outside the church who we should judge, but our own members.
We generally have this teaching completely turned around.
I Corinthians 6:1-6 We are called to judge disputes between our own members, not go to outsiders.
My wife once had some copyrighted designs that were stolen by another woman who was selling them
in her shop. Rather than going the legal route, we proposed to the lady that we let the elders of her
church decide the issue. At that point she immediately backed down and agreed to stop (but still
refused to admit that she had done anything wrong).
Matthew 7:7-8 Here we have a parallel arrangement:
Ask, and it will be given you;
search, and you will find;
knock, and the door will be opened for you.
For everyone who asks receives, and
everyone who searches finds, and
for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:9-11 These may seem like two strange comparisons, but a round loaf of bread resembled a stone and a snakeskin resembled a dried fish. This is the rabbinical technique of arguing from the lesser to the greater.
Similar promises are found elsewhere in the gospels – We can move mountains. Are there any caveats to this promise that keep us from quoting it to get anything we want?
Luke has the “Holy Spirit” in place of “good things,” as an example of what a good thing would be, not just anything we think will be good.
Ask in Jesus' name (keeping in mind all that that phrase entails).
Pray with faith, not wavering.
Pray in accordance with God's will.
Make sure our prayers are not hindered by bad relations with those around us.
There is an interesting twist to this passage from C. S. Lewis' favorite author:
“Even such as ask amiss may sometimes have their prayers answered. The Father will never give the child a stone that asks for bread; but I am not sure that He will never give the child a stone that asks for a stone. If the Father says, “My child, that is a stone; it is no bread,” and the child answer, “I am sure it is bread; I want it,” may it not be well that he should try his “bread”? George MacDonald: An Anthology by C. S. Lewis
Matthew 7:12 What does the reference to the Law and the Prophets refer to?
This saying goes beyond other golden rules expressed in the negative:
Confucius has a similar teaching: “Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourselves.”
Tobit 4:15 (2nd cent. BC): “What you hate, do not do to anyone.”
Hillel (ca. 20 BC): “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor; that is the whole law; the
rest is commentary.”
The Teachings of the Twelve Apostles (Didache): All things you would not have happen to yourself,
do not do to others.”
What is the difference between all these teachings and Jesus' words? Mere “live and let live” is not
enough. It leaves all forms of helping others, including evangelism.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate,
For the gate is wide
and the road is easy that leads to destruction,
and there are many who take it.
For the gate is narrow
and the road is hard that leads to life,
and there are few who find it.
This begins the broad subject that finishes off the Sermon on the Mount: the division between believers
and unbelievers. Verse 13 is practically a paraphrase of Proverbs 7:25, which talks about those who
follow the “strange” woman: “Do not let your hearts turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
For many are those she has laid low and numerous are her victims. Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.”
Matthew 7:15 “Beware” is literally “hold your mind away from.” The phrase “wolves in sheep's
clothing” has been mistakenly attributed first to Aesop, but it appears outside the Bible first only in
fables from the Middle Ages.
Christians should not be naïve and accept the teachings of everyone who comes in Christ's name, as we
shall see in a few more verses and in Matthew 10:16: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the
midst of wolves: so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” This is the same as the teaching that
Christians are in the world, but not of the world. The motives of the false teachers, according to verse
15, are that they are in it only to feed their own appetites. This is similar to Ezekiel's teaching about
bad shepherds who are living off of the flock instead of taking care of it.
Matthew 7:16-20 This paragraph is bounded by the phrase “You will know them by their fruits.”
There is a parallel teaching in James 3:11-12 about blessing and cursing coming from the same person.
It can happen, but it shouldn't be so. A false prophet can even be one who speaks the truth but lives a
lie. In general, faith without works is dead. Also see John the Baptist's words in Matthew 3:8-10. “Bear
fruit worthy of repentance...every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire.” We might be able to identify and control wolves in our own congregation, but now they
write books, appear on TV and blog on the internet (warning: I hope that no one reading my posts
blindly accepts my writings as Gospel truth.) So we need to be on our guard more than ever.
Matthew 7:21-23 This is the first use of “lord” in Matthew's Gospel as applied to Jesus. The
doubling shows that it is not just a polite address. A double use also appears in Matthew 25:11 where
the foolish bridesmaids plead to be let into the marriage feast.
The reply of those condemned is, “But we have done something.” It is not whether we have done
“deeds of power” that will distinguish the true believer from the false one.
“I never knew you” was the mildest form of a ban used by the Pharisees and is equivalent to saying,
“You mean nothing to me.” This is practically a quotation from Psalm 6:3 where David prays that his
enemies, doers of evil, will depart from him. Why does he call them evildoers if they have been
performing good works? “Evildoers” (doing anything displeasing to God) zeroes in on their ethical
behavior and using Jesus' name when they have no real relationship with him.
Matthew 7:24-27 This is the familiar parable of the house built on rock and the house built on sand. It concludes Jesus' treatment of the idea of two ways, begun in verse 13. I often sang the song about this story as a kid, but never considered the context. This parable is a very appropriate way to end up the Sermon on the Mount; Jesus has delivered it, the people have heard his words, but the big question for them and for us is: Will they actually put these words into practice in their lives? The Sermon on the Mount has been called the constitution of Matthew's church.
Matthew 7:28-29 Matthew then makes this comment: “Now when Jesus had finished saying these
things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not
as their scribes.”
Why do you think they would feel this way about Jesus' teaching? The scribes only quoted other
authorities. That is a practice I usually follow in answering any Bible question that is given me. Jesus
was his own authority. Note that these words follow Jesus' teaching in vv. 21a and 23 where he
practically identifies Himself as the Final Judge of mankind.
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