Relationships

INTRODUCTION:

I want to do something a little different today

Normally, I organize a message around a few big ideas

Today, I'd simply like to walk with Jesus.

Imagine we're sitting on the hillside listening to Him teach

We'll slow down and ask one question over and over...

Why did Jesus say that?

I think you'll discover these verses are more connected than they first appear

Matthew 7:1–12 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

Verse 1 - Do not judge others, and you will not be judged

What comes into your mind when you hear this verse?

Almost everyone immediately thinks...

I shouldn't tell anyone they're wrong

This may be the most quoted verse by people who don't follow Jesus

Did Jesus really mean we should never make moral judgments

Keep reading…

Verse 2 - you will be treated as you treat others

Notice...

Jesus isn't forbidding judgment

He's warning about the spirit behind it

Judgment has a way of boomeranging

The measure you use...

becomes the measure used against you

Would you want God to treat you the way you often treat other people?

That's a powerful question

Verses 3-5

This is funny

We often sanitize Scripture

Jesus intentionally paints an absurd picture

A man with a log sticking out of his eye...

trying to remove a splinter

Everyone would've laughed

Why does Jesus use humor here?

Because self-righteousness is ridiculous

Self-righteousness is measuring yourself against others instead of against God

Don’t miss this…

Jesus never says ignore the speck

He says remove your log...

then

help your friend

Correction isn't removed

Hypocrisy is

If we're honest…

focusing on someone else's problems is easier than facing our own

It's uncomfortable to admit where we're wrong

It's painful to confront our own pride, anger, insecurity, or sin

So we become experts at spotting the specks in everyone else's life because it keeps us from dealing with the plank in our own

We've all done it…I know I have

The good news is that Jesus doesn't expose the plank to shame us; He exposes it to free us

He isn't saying, 'Look how terrible you are.'

He's saying, 'There's something keeping you from seeing clearly, and I love you too much to leave it there

Illustration:

If you've ever had something in your eye, you know how impossible it is to ignore. Everything else becomes blurry. Your eye starts watering. It becomes sensitive to light. Your body does everything it can to protect itself, but the irritation doesn't truly go away until the object is removed.

Spiritually, we often try to protect ourselves instead of dealing with what's actually there. We build layers of excuses, blame, defensiveness, or busyness over our sin. Those things may dull the discomfort for a while, but they never remove the log.

Jesus doesn't invite us to cover it up, He invites us to let Him remove it so we can see clearly.

Verse 6

What in the world does this have to do with planks?

What is Jesus teaching? Why did he say that?

Jesus has just said

If verses 1–5 warn against critical judgment, verse 6 warns against careless acceptance

Some Christians judge everyone

Others refuse to exercise any discernment at all

Jesus rejects both extremes

Why dogs and pigs

To Jewish listeners…

Dogs weren't household pets

They were scavengers

Pigs were ceremonially unclean

Jesus paints a picture

Imagine someone taking a priceless pearl...

and tossing it into a pig pen

The pig doesn't recognize its value

It simply stomps on it

Then attacks the one offering it

The problem isn't the pearl

The problem is the recipient has no ability or willingness to value it.

This is especially important for people in church

Some of us believe every argument must be won

Jesus says… No.

Sometimes the wisest thing isn't to keep talking

Sometimes it's to pray

Sometimes it's to walk away

Sometimes it's to wait until God has prepared the other person's heart

Even Jesus knew when a conversation was over

Lose the fight to be right, to be close

Verses 7-8

Why does Jesus suddenly start talking about prayer?

At first it feels random

But maybe it isn't

If removing my own log is impossible on my own...

where do I turn?

To the Father

Ask.

Seek.

Knock.

Jesus moves from humility...

to dependence.

Ask.

Simple request.

acknowledgement of need

confession that we don’t know…

Seek.

Intentional pursuit

We are not just sitting back waiting

We are looking for answers through

Scripture. Prayer. Worship. Community

Knock.

Persistent faith

There's movement

Growing desperation

Growing dependence

Verses 9-11

Now Jesus explains why we pray

Because of who the Father is

Not because prayer is magic

Because God is good

I've learned something over the last few weeks

Peace doesn't come from getting every answer

Peace comes from knowing the character of the Father.

Yahweh (LORD) | I AM. God is eternal, self-existent, faithful, and unchanging

El Shaddai | God Almighty. Nothing is too difficult for Him

El Roi | The God Who Sees Me. God sees us in our pain and loneliness

Jehovah Jireh | The Lord Will Provide. God knows our needs before we ask

Jehovah Rapha | The Lord Who Heals. God restores physically, emotionally, and spiritually

Jehovah Shalom | The Lord Is Peace. His presence brings peace even when circumstances don't change

Verse 12

In other translations…

So...

Therefore...

Jesus is concluding

Everything has been leading here

Because God has shown you grace...

Because He has patiently dealt with your failures...

Because He has welcomed your prayers...

Now

Treat others the same way

The Golden Rule isn't just good manners

It's Gospel behavior

It’s the fruit of a transformed life

Zoom out

I see one major thread that I think is easy to miss

Jesus keeps moving our attention

Verses 1–5 Stop looking at everyone else's faults

Verse 6 Learn to see wisely

Verses 7–11 Look to your Father

Verse 12 Now go look at everyone else differently

It's almost like Jesus is retraining our eyes

Instead of looking through a lens of pride, fear, or suspicion

He teaches us to see through the lens of the Father's grace