Matthew 7

Matthew 7:1: A father corrects his children. A ruler judges. We only rule ourselves.

Matthew 7:1-2 echoes Proverbs 26:17 in a different dimension. Solomon spoke about meddling in other peoples’ quarrels. Jesus is talking about passing judgment. This is something the Pharisees did, and it would come full measure (and despite this warning,  we still have some Pharisees in church today!).

Matthew 7:3-5 is based on Psalms 14:1 & 53:1, that the hypocrite as a fool must remove the plank that says he is God and therefore thinks that he can pass judgment on others.

Matthew 7:6: Trying to share God’s wisdom and goodness with a fool is like thinking they will even understand a lawsuit (Proverbs 29:9). A pointless endeavor that only ends up as a mess. The gospel is for people who recognize they need something, not for know-it-alls who don’t need anything.

 Matthew 7:7-12: As demonstrated in Proverbs 1-7, a good Father gives good gifts, like wisdom, to His children. As we age we appreciate that we need good  gifts, but that the law of sowing and reaping applies. (Galatians 6:7-9)

Matthew 7:13-14: Proverbs 1:7 gives a slightly different take on this, speaking directly to the fear of the Lord and wisdom, vice a metaphor of narrow vs. wide gates. Irregardless of the way it is expressed, following Jesus requires attention to what we are doing and what He calls us to, or else we will miss what He wants us to do (and Him).

Matthew 7:15-20: All of Proverbs 10-19 speak to sowing and reaping, as does Deuteronomy. Jesus used the metaphor of bad fruit, which obviously stinks.

Matthew 7:16-23 also applies to worldly “good” people, which we can become if we don’t fully surrender to Christ. If we find ourselves bearing bad fruit, we are not His children even if we perform miracles. Lots of ways to go off the path.

Matthew 7:21-23: Deuteronomy 13:1-5 says that a false prophet should be put to death; Jesus warns of eternal judgment and separation from Him. And He adds the warning that many will think they actually are serving Him, but don’t even know Him. Proverbs 16:18 further warns of pride as a telltale warning sign of destruction.

Matthew 7:24-27: The storms of life will reveal whether or not we have been practicing Jesus’ words. Psalm 127:1 says unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  That starts with the foundation. It is up to us on what we build our lives.  On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South, a beachfront condominium in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed, killing 98 people.  ‘Nuff said.

Matthew 7:28-29: Jesus went beyond giving rules for actions, His authority came from using metaphors that go to the heart. Not surprising that the people were amazed. Did they repent?