Matthew 7
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός (ophthalmos ponēros)
an idiom, literally ‘evil eye’
a feeling of jealousy and resentment because of what someone else has or does—‘jealous(y).
Those whom Jesus portrays as in moral darkness (v. 23b), then, are those who view and treat others selfishly, especially in the material realm, as the extended context of Matthew 5 supports. Though material wealth may get the focus, more psychological forms of narcissism seem to warrant inclusion as well.
From here it becomes easy to understand what Jesus means, in contrast, by the “healthy” or “single” eye. The basic meaning of the Greek adjective here (haplous) is that something is single that might possibly instead be multiple or divided. The person with an “evil eye” often has a dual agenda: a generous exterior masking a greedy heart. Those with a “single eye” have no greed to mask: they view others, rather, as people whom they can selflessly serve. This understanding of the expression strongly coincides with other NT usages of this word family (see the Logos Bible Word Study note below), which strongly feature self-giving service and devotion. Only with such a selfless outlook will we have the moral clarity to see life’s issues rightly (and thus find true joy!); covetousness and narcissism blind and leave us in the profoundest moral darkness.
Matthew 7:1-5 Do Not Judge Hypocritically
Matthew 7:1-5 Do Not Judge Hypocritically
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 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? 5 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.
The whole passage is NOT saying “don’t judge”. We will be told to judge in v. 6.
Concerned with the fault-finding, condemnatory attitude which is too often combined with a blindness to one’s own failings.
Rather to make sure you don’t judge yourself by a different standard than you judge others. That judgement WILL come back to you!
“People who live in glass houses should not throw stones”
James 2:13 (KJV)
13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Matthew 6:14–15 (KJV)
14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 7:6 Dogs and Swine
Matthew 7:6 Dogs and Swine
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.
Holy and valuable things (the reference is primarily to teaching, probably) must be given only to those who are able to appreciate them. Cf. Paul’s emphasis that only the ‘spiritual’ can understand spiritual teaching (1 Cor. 2:13–16). God’s gifts are not to be laid open to abuse, or his truth to mockery. There is a right discrimination which is different from the censorious judging of vv. 1–2.
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, Seek, Knock
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, Seek, Knock
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 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?
7-8 Ask, Seek, and Knock metaphors for persistent prayer
9-10 human fathers meet the needs of their children
Confidence in prayer comes from the goodness of God our heavenly father being SO MUCH MORE GOOD than them
Matthew 7:12
Matthew 7:12
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.
“Golden Rule” term comes from 4th century Roman Emperor Alexander Severus reputedly had it written in gold on his wall because he saw it’s value for good living
Jesus here is saying it is law and the prophets, a summary of the revealed will of God.
Matthew 7:13-14 The Narrow Gate
Matthew 7:13-14 The Narrow Gate
13 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: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
We think of 2 gates side by side, 1 narrow and 1 wide leading to a choice “do I choose gate a or gate b”. Instead picture a narrow gate sitting in the middle of a wide road. Through the gate lies life, the path is narrow, the walk is uphill, but leads to peace,and glory. You are standing with your back to the gate. In front of you the road is wide, indeed to the left and to the right as far as the I can see. There are bumps and potholes, but it’s easy to find the road.
Life isn’t found following the crowd but following Jesus, and that WILL cost
Matthew 7:15-23 False Prophets
Matthew 7:15-23 False Prophets
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
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. 22 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? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The first group of false prophets are clearly from outside. They look like and sound like the rest of the Lord’s sheep that are saved by faith in the work of Christ. The difference is their intention is to kill and eat and destroy the sheep. Though they look like and sound like the other sheep, you can tell them by how they act and what they do. Intentionally doing things to deceive and look like they belong in the family to destroy.
The second group are those that think they’re in the family of the church but base it only on the things they do (going to church, wearing a cross, having a fish bumper sticker). They are self deceived and have no idea they are only doing these things because of what Jesus said (or Peter or Paul) not because of who Jesus IS.
The thought this could happen SHOULD scare us!
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
1 John is written from a heart working out the question and answers for the saved there is assurance
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
No matter the group, vs. 21 is practically yelling the HE is the judge and personal focus of salvation. That HE is the only one who decides who gets in to heaven. And even more remarkable is the fact it’s based on their relationship to him. DID HE KNOW THEM?
Matthew 7:24-27 The Wise Builder
Matthew 7:24-27 The Wise Builder
Matthew 7:24–27 (KJV)
24 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: 25 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. 26 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: 27 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.
All people can hear and ignore or hear and do. Those are the choices
Matthew 7:28-29 People Astonished
Matthew 7:28-29 People Astonished
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
These are the crowds Jesus meant to take the disciples away from to teach them
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
But the crowd had grown from the moment he started to teach
The disciples were to think, live, and be different. All of Galilee KNEW something about Jesus WAS different! Different from the teachers they had heard. Jesus was telling them HE WAS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW. HE WAS THE LAW WORD!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Just after God brought Israel out of Egypt He made a covenant with them!
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. 3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. 4 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
Immediately after His baptism and temptation, Jesus has started announcing the good news that the Kingdom of God, long promised in OT times, had arrived.
He had brought it, and with him the rule of God had broken into history
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The Sermon on the Mount, then, is to be seen in this context. It portrays the repentance (metanoia, the complete change of mind) and the righteousness which belong to the kingdom. That is, it describes what human life and human community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew 5
The Beatitudes
Salt and Light
Jesus fulfilled the Law
Anger and Murder
Lust and Adultery
Divorce and Remarriage
Oaths
Eye for an Eye
Love your enemies
Matthew 6
Give to the Needy
How to Pray
How to Fast
Treasures in Heaven
Do not worry
Matthew 7
Do not judge hypocritically
Ask, Seek, Knock
The Narrow Gate
False Prophets
The Wise Builder
The radical demands of Jesus have been set out in the main body of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’, summed up in the in the all-embracing principle of 7:12 in the Golden Rule.
The Message of the Sermon on the Mount Introduction: What Is This Sermon? (Matthew 5:1, 2)
The years which followed the end of the second world war in 1945 were marked by innocent idealism. The ghastly nightmare was over. ‘Reconstruction’ was the universal goal. Six years of destruction and devastation belonged to the past; the task now was to build a new world of co-operation and peace. But idealism’s twin sister is disillusion—disillusion with those who do not share the ideal or (worse) who oppose it or (worse still) who betray it. And disillusion with what is keeps feeding the idealism of what could be.
Seems like from the celebration of VE and VJ day in 1945 until now, disillusion is what Americas been swimming in
Cold War
Civil Rights
Vietnam
Energy Crisis
9/11
War in the Middle East
Growth of the Government
Murdering of millions of unborn babies only mentioning the last 60 years
Over Reach of the Government (Covid “crisis”)
Celebration of LGBTQA+
Throughout ALL of these, where has the Church been?
The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus telling His followers (the Church) to be different. NOT JUST IN DO’S AND DON'TS BUT IN A LIFE LIVED FOR HIS GLORY!
NOT JUST IN GETTING AS MANY INTO THE KINGDOM AS POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO LIVING AND SERVING AND DOING HERE A LIFE POINTING TO HIM AS LORD OF ALL!
RAISING KIDS, MOWING OUR NEIGHBORS YARD, WORKING OUR JOBS, TAKING CARE OF THE POOR, FORGIVING PEOPLE THAT CUT US OFF ON THE ROAD OR IN WALMART, GOING OUT OF OUR WAY TO BE POLITE, RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, BEING USED BY GOD FOR HIM TO REDEEM GOVERNMENT, AND SCHOOLS, AND BUSINESSES, AND ART AND MUSIC AND CULTURE
Those are for the follower of Christ;
For those not a follower...
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.
What was true in the OT...
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Is true in the NT
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.