Matthew 7: Sermon on the Mount III
How does “not judging” differ from “knowing a tree by its fruit”?
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Matthew 7:1–2 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. In the way you judge others, you will be judged. The standard you apply in condemning others will be the standard used against you.”
Luke 6:44 “Each tree is identified by its own fruit. No one picks grapes from thorn bushes or figs from briers.”
King James
Matthew 7:1–2 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
What does the way we judge others have to do with the way we will be judged?
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Matthew 7:2 “In the way you judge others, you will be judged. The standard you apply in condemning others will be the standard used against you.”
King James
Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Why is it easy to see someone else’s faults but not our own?
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Matthew 7:3–5 “Why do you worry about the sawdust in your brother’s eye but never notice the board in your own eye? How can you say, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and not admit the existence of something much larger in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the large object from your eye. Then you can see clearly to remove the small piece from your brother’s eye.”
King James
Matthew 7:3–5 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Why don’t pigs value pearls?
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Matthew 7:6 “Do not give something holy to dogs. They will turn and attack, tearing you to pieces. Do not toss your pearls to pigs. They will only trample them under their feet.”
King James
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Since people often ask, see, and knock but don’t receive, what was Jesus asking people to do?
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Matthew 7:7–8 “Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to those who knock.”
King James
Matthew 7:7–8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
How does God’s love for his children compare to parents’ love for their children?
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Matthew 7:9–11 “Would any of you give a stone to a son who asks for bread? Would you give him a snake if he asked for fish? Bad as you are, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your heavenly Father give only what is good to those who ask him.”
King James
Matthew 7:9–11 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
What makes the rule to “treat others as you would have them treat you” so golden?
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Matthew 7:12 “Do what you would have others do to you, for this is the intent of everything taught in the Law and the prophets.”
King James
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
In what ways are the broad and narrow gates and roads different?
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Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter through the small gate. For many take the wide gate and broad road that lead to destruction. Only a few find the small gate and narrow road that lead to life.”
King James
Matthew 7:13–14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
What do false prophets do to disguise themselves? How are they recognized for what they really are?
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Matthew 7:15–20 “Watch out for false prophets who come disguised as sheep but inwardly are vicious wolves. Recognize them by their actions. No one picks grapes from thorn bushes or figs from briers. Good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and burned. Each tree is identified by its own fruit.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 We shouldn’t be surprised, since Satan never reveals himself as a liar. No, he presents himself as our helper, a messenger of truth, an angel of light.
King James
Matthew 7:15–20 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Why do actions speak louder than words?
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Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who calls me master will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but only those who do the will of my heavenly Father.”
King James
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
If we are saved by grace, not of works lest anyone should boast, why is doing God’s will a requirement for entering the Kingdom?
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Matthew 7:21–23 “Not everyone who calls me master will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but only those who do the will of my heavenly Father. On Judgment Day, many will say, ‘Lord, didn’t we prophesy, cast out evil spirits, and do many wonderful deeds in your name?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you disobedient lawbreakers.'”
Ephesians 2:9 Since eternal life is God’s gift, we cannot boast that we have done something to deserve his favor.
James 2:17 So you see, a declaration of faith alone is dead without the actions that give it life.
James 2:24 You must now admit the obvious truth: being righteous in God’s eyes depends on our actions and not just what we say we believe.
King James
Matthew 7:21–23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
When Jesus says on Judgment Day, “I never knew you,” will that refer to the works people want to say were righteous, the lack of any relationship with him, or both? Why?
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Matthew 7:22–23 “On Judgment Day, many will say, ‘Lord, didn’t we prophesy, cast out evil spirits, and do many wonderful deeds in your name?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you disobedient lawbreakers.'”
King James
Matthew 7:22–23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In Jesus’ story, how were the wise and foolish men different? In what ways were they the same?
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Matthew 7:24–27 “Everyone who not only hears my words but also puts them into practice is like a wise man who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on solid rock. When a storm brought torrential rain, flooded streams, and hurricane-force winds, his house did not collapse, because it was well built on an unshakeable foundation. Anyone who hears my words but never acts on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand, without a foundation. The rain fell, causing the streams to rise. As soon as the high winds came, the house fell with a great crash and was completely destroyed.”
King James
Matthew 7:24–27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Why were the people amazed at Jesus’ teaching?
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Matthew 7:28–29 When Jesus finished teaching, the crowds were amazed because he spoke with authority, nothing like the teachers of the Law.
King James
Matthew 7:28–29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.