Matthew 7
7
The Sermon on a Mountain Continues: Stop Judging
(Luke 6:37–42)
1“Stop judging so that you will not be judged. 2Otherwise, you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others. The standards you use for others will be applied to you. 3So why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer’s eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye? 4How can you say to another believer, ‘Let me take the piece of sawdust out of your eye,’ when you have a beam in your own eye? 5You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer’s eye.
Don’t Throw Pearls to Pigs
6“Don’t give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls to pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them and then tear you to pieces.
The Power of Prayer
(Luke 11:5–13)
7“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9“If your child asks you for bread, would any of you give him a stone? 10Or if your child asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? 11Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
The Golden Rule
(Luke 6:31)
12“Always do for other people everything you want them to do for you. That is ⌞the meaning of⌟ Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets.
The Narrow Gate
13“Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. 14But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.
False Prophets
(Luke 6:43–45)
15“Beware of false prophets. They come to you disguised as sheep, but in their hearts they are vicious wolves. 16You will know them by what they produce.
“People don’t pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles, do they? 17In the same way every good tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a rotten tree cannot produce good fruit. 19Any tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire. 20So you will know them by what they produce.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?’ 23Then I will tell them publicly, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from me, you evil people.’
Build on the Rock
(Luke 6:47–49)
24“Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on rock. 25Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not collapse, because its foundation was on rock.
26“Everyone who hears what I say but doesn’t obey it will be like a foolish person who built a house on sand. 27Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and struck that house. It collapsed, and the result was a total disaster.”
28When Jesus finished this speech, the crowds were amazed at his teachings. 29Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority.
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Matthew 7: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Matthew 7
7
A Simple Guide for Behavior
1-5“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
6“Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege.
7-11“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
12“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
Being and Doing
13-14“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.
15-20“Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.
21-23“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our super-spiritual projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’
24-25“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
26-27“But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”
28-29When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.