In the Matthew 7 conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the disciples learn discernment, appraising the condition of others only after first examining themselves. They also learn of the generosity of God the Father, who gives to all who ask of Him, and the famous Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” Furthermore, Jesus discusses the reality of reprobation; many find the wide path to destruction, exhibiting their wicked fruits as bad trees, while a few good trees exhibit the fruit of the Spirit along the narrow path of righteousness that leads to eternal life. Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a familiar illustrative parable distinguishing between the man who builds his house on the sand and the man who builds his house on the rock.
1) V1-12 – 1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
The first verse of Matthew 7 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” – is often misunderstood in our culture today, because it is so regularly taken out of its context, separated from the following 4 verses. If we want to make this text say something it doesn’t say, especially in light of the previous chapter’s conclusion about not worrying (Matthew 6:25-34), we can conclude that we need to avoid worrying about how others might judge us (for our appearance or behavior), and we need to avoid judging others for their appearance or behavior. It’s a politically correct, tolerant perspective that is not at all what Jesus is saying.
Instead of this faulty interpretation of Jesus’ teaching, we must allow v1-5 to work together for an appropriate explanation. We are to remain humble when we appraise the condition or circumstances of others. V2 suggests that we do in fact judge others, and that our standards for others will be used on us in similar fashion. We might like to think that we are perfect where everyone else is flawed, but conviction from the Spirit teaches us otherwise. We see “the speck of sawdust” in the eye of another, yet we fail to notice “the plank” of wood protruding from our own eye (v3-4). This is comical, and Jesus’ audience might have laughed about the image He portrayed; but it’s a sad reality. Jesus calls it hypocrisy (v5), and says we must first judge ourselves and deal with our issues before we can be in the right place of appraising others. Even then, we judge in humility and with the intention of bringing repentance, never to condemn others or simply to make ourselves look better in our own eyes or in the eyes of others.
V6 seems to stand alone, but I think it serves as a meaty transition between v1-5 and v7-11. Jesus says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” In the context of judging others, Jesus is saying that the disciples will have a wisdom others won’t appreciate (1 Corinthians 2:11-16). Their judgments will be sound and pure, and more than that – “sacred,” like pearls. But Jesus says to give these appraisals to “dogs” or “pigs,” because, like animals, they will not appreciate them. Rather, they will destroy them and turn on you who speak the wisdom that can bring them to salvation. This was the plight of the prophets.
Yet how do we discern the appropriate time and audience for issuing wise judgments? When do we speak up against homosexuality and abortion for example? Do we go to the abortion clinic? Or do we, perhaps with more humility and tact, offer pregnancy resource clinics? Do we visit the LGBT hangouts and spew judgment? No! On the contrary, we befriend and humbly plead with them in a more peaceful setting, hoping that the Spirit would convict them of their ways and begin to change them from the inside out. Otherwise, we will be casting pearls before swine, where our wisdom will be trampled and we will be ridiculed. Nothing fruitful would arise in those circumstances. Transitioning into the next passage (v7-11_, Jesus uses His remark from v6 to again humble His audience, encouraging them to ask and seek the Lord in all matters, prayerfully considering all things in light of the Golden Rule – “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (v12).
In v7-8, Jesus gives three brief, parallel instructions and explains that those who follow those instructions will be blessed. Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. It’s an exhortation to pray, and your prayers will be heard (Ephesians 3:11-12); but the seeking and the knocking are added to the asking in order to reveal that the Lord and His means are not too distant for us. V9-10 serve as examples of these principles from an earthly perspective. Jesus speaks of fathers, acknowledging that they who love their children will honor their appropriate requests. If your son asks for bread, would you offer him a stone? Of course not! If he asks for a fish, would you hand him a snake? No! God is a good provider, far better than the best earthly parent. Thus, as v11 explains, offering proof that those who ask will receive, Jesus says that if sinful earthly fathers still care for their children, surely God, our perfect heavenly Father, will give good gifts – or even better, the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:5-13) – to those who ask Him.
Therefore, Jesus says, “Do to others what you would have them to do you” (v12). The Golden Rule, as Jesus says, “sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Calvin comments, “It is an exhortation…to be just, and contains a short and simple definition of what justice means. We are here informed, that the only reason why so many quarrels exist in the world, and why men inflict so many mutual injuries on each other, is, that they knowingly and willingly trample justice under their feet, while every man rigidly demands that it shall be maintained towards himself.” Paul will later write that love also fulfills the law. So if you love others, then you will treat them justly, the same way that you would like to be treated. This takes us back to the first 6 verses of this chapter, Jesus’ instructions on judging others. If you would want to be loved and treated justly, then you must love others and treat them with justice. Would you equate love with justice? Why? Why not?
2) V13-23 – 13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’”
After teaching His disciples elements of proper behavior for living in God’s kingdom, concluding with the Golden Rule (v12), Jesus tells them to “enter through the narrow gate” and avoid “the road that leads to destruction,” which “many enter through” (v13). The Golden Rule is easier to grasp, but hard to apply; and we mustn’t miss Jesus’ clarity in implying that many find destruction by their life choices, while only a few find the narrow path that leads to eternal life (v14). Likewise, Jesus says to “watch out for false prophets,” who are “ferocious wolves” on the inside even though they might appear “in sheep’s clothing” (v15). Jesus says that we can recognize these frauds “by their fruit” (v16-18). These lessons teach us to be rightly defensive when living righteously, because of the dangers lurking around us in the world.
Again, don’t miss the clear – and repetitive to signify importance – teaching of v18-20; there is a significant distinction between God’s people and Satan’s people. God has those who belong to Him, whom He has made into good trees for bearing good fruit (Ephesians 2:10) by calling us out of darkness and into the light (1 Peter 2:9; including those whom He will call but hasn’t yet). But He also has those (notice they still belong to God, but for a different purpose (Romans 9:20-24)) who belong to the devil (John 8:44), the likes of which will never be good trees (primarily because God doesn’t grant them the grace of justification, sanctification, and glorification, but also because of their own choices, as 1 Peter 2:8 declares). Not only can we recognize them by their fruit – bad trees cannot produce good fruit – but Jesus will even declare to them on Judgment Day, “I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers” (v23)!
This is challenging instruction, as we can immediately think of potential exceptions to the apparent rule. But v21-22 probably address most of our rebuttals. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’” So there are some people who will call Jesus, “Lord,” but exempt themselves from His eternal presence (the kingdom of heaven) by failing to do the Father’s will. Those people who call Jesus, “Lord,” will offer examples of their obedience, such as prophesying, exorcisms, and other miraculous deeds, but Jesus knows their hearts. And to them, He will say, “I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!” Immediately, I think of various cults of Christianity and their members, such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. And then there are the myriad of “moral” individuals who acknowledge the existence of God but fail to rightly esteem Him through proper worship. We might also continually examine our own deeds to be sure that we are counted among the elect (Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 1:10), for it seems that the people whom Jesus never knew sure thought they were His followers. Perhaps this is also an admonition not to try to earn salvation, but simply to repent and believe, for we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, not by grace or faith plus works.
3) V24-29 – 24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, 29 because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
In wrapping up His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issues a famous and illustrative conclusion reminiscent of Ezekiel 33:31-32 (v24-27; Luke 8:21; John 12:47; 14:24; James 1:22; 2:14). Hearing Jesus’ instructions is not enough; they must be put into practice. Living your life in obedience to God is akin to building a house on a solid foundation; it cannot be shaken. But living a life in disobedience to God – having witnessed the truth but suppressing it – is like building a house on sands that get washed away.
As Jesus concluded, “the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (v28-29). This significant remark is made repeatedly throughout the gospels. Jesus’ teaching was unique. Though He hasn’t begun to speak in parables, He incorporates humor and real life scenarios in his application, which not only grabs the audience’s attention, but also helps them to make the application and better understanding what He is teaching, though the content is still controversial. Thus it is said that Jesus seemed to have the authority, which He did in fact have, to teach the application of the Law in ways that had not been taught before and to come to conclusions that had not been warranted by the typical teachers of the Laws, whom Jesus will later criticize and refer to as “blind guides” and “whitewashed tombs.”
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