Judging Others// Luke 6:37–42; Romans 14:1–12
1“Do not judge, or you will be judged. 2For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
- MT 7:1[NOTABLE]The most misunderstood and misquoted verse in the Bible. Jesus is not saying never call anything wrong. Verse 5 says to take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to help your brother. He is saying do not judge people for things you are guilty of yourself.
3Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? 5You hypocrite! First take the beam 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 holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
- MT 7:6[NOTABLE]Right after do not judge, Jesus says use good sense. Do not keep pushing holy things on people who mock them and attack you. Move on, like He told the disciples in 10:14.
Ask, Seek, Knock// Luke 11:5–13
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.
- MT 7:7[NOTABLE]Ask, seek, knock. In Greek these mean keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Prayer is not one try and quit.
- MT 7:8[NOTABLE]This is a promise. Everyone who keeps asking receives. God always answers, even when the answer is not what we expected.
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? 11So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
- MT 7:9[NOTABLE]A round stone looked a lot like a small loaf of bread. No good father would trick his hungry child.
- MT 7:10[NOTABLE]A snake could bite the child. A good father gives what feeds, not what harms.
- MT 7:11[NOTABLE]If flawed parents give good gifts, God gives even better ones. Luke 11:13 says the best gift He gives is the Holy Spirit.
12In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
- MT 7:12[NOTABLE]The Golden Rule. Rabbi Hillel taught, do not do to others what you hate, a generation before Jesus. Jesus turns it around. Do not just avoid harm, go do good first. He says this sums up the whole Old Testament.
The Narrow Gate// Luke 13:22–30
13Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
- MT 7:13[NOTABLE]Two gates and two roads. The wide road is easy and crowded. Following the crowd is not the same as following God.
- MT 7:14[NOTABLE]Narrow means there is only one way in. Jesus said, I am the way, John 14:6. Few find it, so you have to look for it.
A Tree and Its Fruit// Luke 6:43–45
15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered 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. 20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.
- MT 7:15[NOTABLE]False prophets dress like sheep so they look like part of the flock. Inside they are wolves who feed on the flock. Do not trust the costume. Jesus warns about them again in 24:11 and 24:24.
- MT 7:16[NOTABLE]Fruit is how you tell. Not their title, their talk or the size of their crowd. Watch their life over time.
- MT 7:17[NOTABLE]Good fruit is a life that looks like Jesus. Paul lists it in Galatians 5:22 to 23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
- MT 7:18[NOTABLE]What a tree is shows up in what it grows. A person cannot fake their fruit forever.
- MT 7:19[NOTABLE]John the Baptist gave this same warning in 3:10, almost word for word. Now Jesus says it too.
- MT 7:20[NOTABLE]Jesus says it twice, in 7:16 and here, so you will not miss it. This is the right kind of judging. Test teachers by their fruit.
21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father 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?’
- MT 7:21[NOTABLE]Saying Lord, Lord is not enough. Doing the Father's will is what counts. Real faith shows up in how you live. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead.
- MT 7:22[DEMONIC]Many will say they drove out demons in His name
23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity!’
- MT 7:23[ALLUDES TO]Refers to ← PS 6:8
The House on the Rock// Luke 6:46–49
24Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.
26But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”
The Authority of Jesus
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 29because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.