On Judging
Matthew 7:1-2 starts with two powerful verses. Jesus says that we shouldn't judge, lest we be judged, and that with the compassion or harshness of our judgment, we will have that returned to us. We don't have a lot of social history from the Bible days as far as how the Christians treated each other. Acts, of course, declares that after the Spirit was poured out and so many were saved, they looked out for each other and shared things in common. But it also points out that some of the widows were perhaps not being treated fairly. So judgment was probably an issue in the church even then.
I wasn't around in the early days of the settlement of the West or the early colonization of America for that matter. But I've read some stories about the time and certainly have read histories of Europe before the colonization happened. Wherever you look throughout history, you see judgment. Catholics vs. Protestants... Protestants vs. Protestants... and certainly Christian vs. non-Christian. It has always been a thing, and I really think the church today needs to take these two verses to heart and apply them seriously to how they interact with everyone - family, neighbors, fellow employees, classmates, fellow church goers, people of a different political party, people of a different religion, people of a different social strata, people of a different race, people of a different sexual orientation, people who have done X where X can be filled in with a wide variety of things (drugs, alcohol, abortion, many more), illegal immigrants, terrorists, ...
Did I finally go far enough to make everyone say well I might not judge this group, but clearly these people are wrong. If not, keep going in your own mind and I'll bet you reach some limit where you start judging.
Yet Christ said "Judge not". Pretty simple statement and no room to wiggle. At. All.
I know that God laid down His laws as to what is right and wrong. And I know that there are real risks to some people in hanging around with other groups who are involved in things the Bible declares to be wrong and which could be a stumbling block to you. But Jesus here isn't saying you should become bosom buddies with someone. He is saying not to judge them. Hate the sin. Love the sinner.
None of us are perfect. I'm certainly not. Ask my kids. Ask my ex-wife. But we are called to love and not judge. There is much truth in the old adage that you can't know someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes, or ten miles, or twenty miles depending on how hard they are to get to know. But the reality is that only God knows everything that has gone on to make someone say something, do something, or act in a certain way. God understands. That is why He is the only perfect judge. We don't come close to understanding all that has happened to someone else to lead up to a particular thing happening. We don't have the information to judge and we don't have the impartiality to judge.
There is much that is wrong in this world today. Depending on your view of the world and how sheltered you are you may have good firsthand knowledge of bad things or those things may be remote to you. But until you walk the walk of someone struggling, you can't understand why they are the way they are. Judge not.
And why? Well, Jesus is just as clear about that. The reality is that no matter how good and upright and perfect we try to be, we're going to screw up many times. And when we do, it would be nice to be understood as we explain what happened rather than to be judged on our actions without any attempt to understand. I've been on the receiving end of that, and I've tried really hard to not be on the giving end of that. Only God will be able to judge how well I've done in the fullness of time.
But I hope that when that time comes, I'll be granted mercy and grace and be forgiven by the blood of Jesus. And so do you. So I think it is high time that the Christian church starts preaching the gospel and letting the Holy Spirit flow through every service and every encounter with the people we meet. Let God save the sinner and let the Holy Spirit deal with their hearts. As the Holy Spirit works on hearts and they ask questions by all means give them God's truth but be sure to let them know that God forgives and still loves. And then try to show that love yourself. Get off the picket lines. Stop judging.
On Hypocrisy
Matthew 7:3-5 deals with hypocrisy. Jesus is pretty clear here. He condemns those who point out specks in other peoples' eyes while ignoring the huge beams that are piercing their own eyes. He tells the people to clean up their own acts so that they will be able to see clearly to deal with other people's issues.
Non-Christians rightly point out the hypocrisy in the Church today. To say that the Church isn't what Jesus envisioned when He was giving this sermon is probably a safe statement. In some respects, we are better, and in some respects we are worse. But we are definitely different than the early church of Acts. It might take some Ananias and Sapphira [Acts 5:1-11] moments, along with the good works of the disciples [Acts 5:12] to truly fix the state that we are in today.
The thing is, even the early church wasn't perfect, because it too was made up of human beings who are prone to bad decisions and failure (moral and otherwise). That isn't an excuse. We should all do better. But to expect that church will somehow prevent all people who claim to be Christians (whether or not they truly are) from making a mistake is an just as unfair expectation to us as my comments about judging the world are above from us.
Still, we need to realize there is a problem before it will ever get fixed. God will light up what we and the world is doing wrong by the Holy Spirit. At least unless you have gone so far astray that the Holy Spirit has moved on to leave you to wallow in your own life [Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:29; Ephesians 4:20-32].
And note that Jesus does declare that we have a place to try to teach and model the truth. He just tells us to get our own house in order before we go criticizing others. By using this imagery, it is also important to note that He does tell us to go ahead and put in the work to try to help others who have lost their way because they cannot see. Remember earlier in the sermon that we are the light and salt of the world. Jesus wants everyone to be able to see clearly.
Whether a person chooses the right path after they can see is up to that person. We can't force someone to choose the right path. But we can at least try to answer their questions with truth and let them know that they are at a cross roads where they must make a choice. Every Christian faces that same choice on a daily basis. Do I continue in Christ's path, or do I take a detour to see the sights that are enticing? Don't be a hypocrite. Choose the right path for yourself.
Have I always taken the right path. No. I've made many detours along the way. I'm not perfect. If you came here looking for perfection, you won't find it. I try to teach the truth as best I see it. So do most Christians. But the only perfect human to walk the earth for their entire life was Christ. I try to do better each day. But my life has been a struggle. All I can do is preach the Bible the best I can in love and pray that the Holy Spirit will do the rest. Jesus is the finisher of our faith, not me [Hebrews 12:2].
Command to Ask, Seek and Knock
Matthew 7:6-11 gives a beautiful set of commands to the Christians. I included 7:6 in this passage rather than having it stand on its own because I think it is a good lead in to the command. The next verses ask us to depend on God for our needs, but the lead in verse also admonishes us to not take what God gives us and treat it basely. Jesus warns that if we do so, either to dogs will turn on you and tear you apart, or the pigs will destroy what you have and then (if a wild boar) will also turn on you and tear you apart. So that's a sobering warning before Jesus command to turn to God for our needs.
Jesus tells His followers to ask, seek, and knock. If we ask, Jesus says what we ask for will be given to us. If we seek for something, we will find what we are looking for. If we knock (as on a door or an opportunity) it will be opened for us. He goes on to then compare God with a good earthly father who will give bread and not a stone to his hungry child, and a fish to eat instead of a serpent to destroy.
While it is important to remember this passage in context of the sermon where Jesus has talked about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, we must also take into account James teachings where Jesus words here had evidently caused some of His followers to ask for things that they shouldn't ask for [James 4:3]. As long as we are in tune with the Holy Spirit, we won't be asking for things which aren't good for us. We won't be seeking some worldly thing that will bring us down. We won't be knocking on the wrong doors or seeking the wrong opportunities.
The parallel with human families, although not talked about here, remains true. Every parent must know their children and what their children can handle. Just because a child asks for something isn't an automatic yes. An earthly father must weigh what is best for the child and the family. But if the thing that is requested is good and doesn't pose a short or long term threat to the child, and the parent has the ability, the wishes are usually granted. We have to realize that God can forecast with reasonable certainty what a yes or no answer to any prayer will bring both to the person and to all of those they connect with. It is always God's goal, I think, to try to do things that make things the best for the greatest number of people to bring the greatest number of people to Him. That's what it's all about.
But if our requests line up with His will and His plan and do no harm, He will want to say yes, or yes soon, or yes eventually. Have faith. Walk with the Spirit and draw closer to God while you wait and all may be clearer. Have faith in His promises, and also make sure that you have fulfilled all conditions. Trust in Him.
Living for God
Matthew 7:12-14 is an important aside. Referencing back to Matthew 7:2, Jesus extends the concept of judging and granting mercy to others to include your whole walk in life. The first verse asks the listener to examine everything that they would like to see happen to them in the world. Then do that to other people.
This is backwards to the way humanity often thinks. Humans switch the order. If someone does something nice for me, then I'll do something nice for them. Christianity is to be different. Christ says if you would like someone to do something nice for you, do something nice for them first. If they never repay you in kind, it doesn't matter.
And to be clear, Jesus wasn't saying do something nice to your friends and people who know you first. In His day, the equivalent would have been do something nice for the Roman tax collector or Roman soldier who is subjugating your country. Even if there is no chance that you will be repaid for your good deed by that person or anyone else. He said that this was what the law and the prophets were all about.
That concept is very foreign in the tribal system that has gripped the world (for a long time to be truthful). Do you remember that list of people I started with and said you'd probably reach a point of judging before you got to the end. Well, even if you didn't, Jesus said do good things to the people at the very end of the list (or farther out than I went). That's what the love of God is all about.
It may be unlikely that you knowingly meet some of the people who are at the end of the list. We all hope we won't encounter terrorists, kidnappers, thieves, murderers, or anyone that would be a danger to us or those we love. But Christ says love. And in fact He gave up His life, willingly, for billions of people who were estranged by sin from God. We all fell in that group that benefited from His gift to us when we could give nothing back to Him in return.
After that challenge, Jesus declares that the road to damnation is wide and many are willing going down that path. The way to heaven is strait and narrow and there would be few who find it. I'm pretty sure that God wants to widen the road to accommodate as many people as possible, while keeping the way strait. He wants many to find the way to Him. He doesn't want anyone to perish. Read The Gospel Message if you're on that broad path that leads to destruction and you want to get right with God today. It isn't hard.
Warnings on False Teachings
Matthew 7:15-20 warns of the dangers of those who prophesy falsely. He warns that there will be those who come looking harmless (in sheep's clothing) but inside are filled with the ravening destructive hunger or wolves. I happen to like wolves myself, but I do understand the allusion - prey and predator.
Jesus declares that we will be able to know them by their fruits. Today, perhaps few in the first world would be able to discern what is safe to eat and dangerous to eat in the wild. But in Jesus day, there was a much clearer understanding so the food analogy made sense then.
Good trees bring forth good fruit and cannot bring forth evil fruit. A corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit and cannot bring forth good fruit. Jesus says that trees that bring forth evil fruit will eventually be cut down and used for kindling (physically and metaphorically). We will know who is a good and who is a false prophet by their fruits.
Additionally, realize that this message was spoken before the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers. After that, Spirit filled people had access to the divine gift through the Spirit of discerning of spirits. Have you ever been listening to someone and had the Holy Spirit check your heart to say that wasn't quite right - or was really wrong. Pay attention.
We live in an age when many can speak at length and at an expensive cost to many. Whether their voice will ever be heard is determined largely by word of mouth or by the vagaries of search engines. Every Christian needs the Holy Spirit baptism today for many reasons, but especially to discern truth among the thousands and thousands of books that are continually published about religion and the host of preachers and teachers that fill the video feeds of the world.
I think that I'm pretty solid in what I write. Yet I know that there are some who will take issue with some of my interpretations of the Bible. My thoughts on Genesis 1 for example, turn some apoplectic. So do my views on abortion. While my views on Daniel and Revelation follow one of the main Christian interpretations of those passages, the details will only be known in the fullness of time, and there are groups of Christians who hold different interpretations of Revelation. Some feel most of it is already historical. Some view the language as written in a parallel sequence rather than a linear sequence, so believe we will go through the tribulation or that the rapture will occur mid-tribulation.
Needless to say, some passages in the Bible are just hard to understand, and we won't fully understand them until we reach heaven. But there is a difference between those who may have different views on some passages, and those trying to tear down Christianity like a false prophet.
There has been much division in the church over what to believe about various things. I pray that the Holy Spirit will be a unifying presence to trim off the unimportant bits and get us all back to unity in the parts we all agree on so that we can present a united front against the world and the He will convict those who are in error in the church of their mistakes and also help to unify the body of Christ. Let us all produce good fruit.
End Destruction of Those Christ Doesn't Know
The last portion of the sermon, Matthew 7:21-27 presents a dire warning to His followers. He declares that those who work iniquity can never truly know Christ and He declares that He will tell them to depart from Him, regardless of what fantastic things they have done for Him in their life. Some will tell Him they prophesied. Some will tell Him they cast out devils. Some will tell of the wonderful and miraculous works they have done. And Christ will say that He never knew them.
If that doesn't scare people who work for Christ, I don't know what would. He asks His followers to put into practice all of the things that He said to them. And that extends to us who read the words millennia later. If we hear and do, we are said to be like a wise man who built a strong house on a rock that couldn't be washed away by the storms that came.
For those that hear but don't do, it is like a person who built a house on the sand that was washed away by the rain, wind, and floods destroying it in a mighty crash.
A lot of us would have been a lot happier if he had said hear and believe instead of hear and do. That do part is the worrisome bit. I spend a lot of time doing other things than picking the next chapter to write a commentary about. Doing takes sacrifice and time. Few want to have anything to do with the do part. But none of us want to be washed away by a storm either.
If you are feeling weak today, and don't have the capacity to do, evaluate your life and figure out what is consuming your energy and time that isn't profitable. We all have something we could give up or do less of to make time to do. Then do. And stop the iniquity too - that applies to all of us as well.
The Effect of the Sermon
The last two verses in the chapter [Matthew 7:29-29] describe the effect of Jesus preaching on the listeners. For them, it was a message that cut to their hearts.
They were astonished because He was preaching like He knew what He was talking about in the first place, and as someone who was in authority to make the statements He was making in the second place. The scribes and the Pharisees taught the law, but they evidently weren't able to apply it to the people's lives in a way that made it come alive.
We need to pray that the Holy Spirit will challenge every pastor, missionary, evangelist, teacher, professor, deacon, elder, or other Christian (thought I'd leave you out?) to know the Word well enough to speak about it with authority and wake up the listeners. There are too many Christians who go to church and can't tell you what the sermon was about after lunch. That speaks to the heart of the person in the pew and the speaker. Pray for your church and His church. Pray that you will come with a receptive heart to hear what is said or to remember what you read.
I don't want to suggest that if your pastor isn't able to preach a sermon that you remember 15 minutes later or that makes you want to come back next week that you seek a new church or that you turn to online pastors. Pray for where you are at first. But don't give up on Christianity if you find yourself in a dry church. Pray about where God wants you to be and pray about whether He wants you to change the church you attend or make the current church better.
If a tree falls in the wilderness, does it make a sound? Of course it does. But if it hasn't impacted you, you won't know it. If you are staying away from church because you had a bad experience in your denomination as a child (or as an adult) pray about where you should be. You definitely won't hear the tree if you aren't in the forest.
If you're a pastor, pray that God will teach you how to speak and make a positive impact on someone. You might not have an impact on someone who is an old Christian who should be doing the work of God instead of sitting back judging, but make an impact on the world that doesn't know Christ at all. They're your target audience. But make a difference.