Matthew 7
CHAPTER 7
Jesus teaches about pre-judging
1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged, and with what measure you use, it shall be applied to you. 3 And why do you see the splinter that is in your brother's eye but ignore the plank that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you say to your brother: Let me remove the splinter in your eye, when you have a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye and then shall you see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye. 6 Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the pigs, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.
Jesus teaches about His generous Father in heaven
7 Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you. 8 For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
9 Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him.
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus teaches how to test for good and evil
13 Enter in by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. 14 For narrow is the gate and straight the road that leads to life, but few are they that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit but the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you shall know them.
21 Not everyone that says to me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that pleases my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name do many mighty works? 23 And then will I tell them: I never knew you. Depart from me, you that work iniquity.
24 Everyone therefore that hears these words of mine and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. 25 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it did not collapse, for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And everyone that hears these words of mine and does not obey them, shall be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it collapsed, and great was its collapse.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words that the crowds were astonished at his teaching. 29 For he taught them as one having authority and not as their scribes.
Commentary
7:1 Judge not- The Greek word translated “judge” can mean both to condemn, and to make a judgment of right and wrong. We must not condemn others, but we must judge between right and wrong.
7:14 The majority are usually wrong in spiritual matters.
7:22 Lord, Lord- There will be people who called Jesus “Lord” and who thought they did miracles in His Name who will be rejected at the last day. They actually did “iniquity”. Possessing the gifts of God is no guarantee of salvation.
7:25 Floods came- The day of judgment will be like a storm which shakes us to the core and reveals who we really are. True spiritual progress is slow- like bashing away at the rock of our hard hearts. Quick spiritual progress is likely to be a building upon sand.
