Matthew 7:1. Judge not, that ye be not judged.
You are not called to judge; you are not qualified to judge: «God is the Judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.» There is much better work to be done by us than that of setting up as judges of others.
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.
Do not judge the whole character of a man by one single action; do not attempt to judge his motives; you cannot read his heart; you are not omniscient; you are not infallible. You will very soon find other people judging you; and when, one of these days, you shall be falsely judged and condemned, you will not need to have any surprise if you have done the same thing yourself; it will be only your corn measured back to you with the bushel you used in measuring other people's.
Matthew 7:3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
There is something in yourself that is worthy of your consideration, something that you ought to consider, it big, blinding beam in your own eye. As for the mote that is in your brother's eye, there is no need that you should even see it. Why beholdest thou it? Charity is ever a little blind to the faults of others, for it remembers so well its own.
Matthew 7:4. 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?
A blind man cannot be a good oculist; he should see well who tries to mend other people's eyes; but with a beam in one's own eye, it must be poor work to attempt to take motes out of the eyes of others. This does not prevent our using reproof and rebuke when they are needed. Even under the Law, the command was given, «Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him,» as if it were a kind of hatred to avoid the duty of kindly and gentle rebuke. That is a very different thing from exposing the faults of others, and aggravating and exaggerating the faults of others, as, alas, so many do! Oh, how much misery might be saved in the world if the scandal-market were not so brisk! Perhaps tongues would not move so fast if eyes were used to a better purpose.
Matthew 7:5-6. 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. 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.
There are some holy enjoyments, some gracious experiences, some deep doctrines of the Word of God, which it would be out of place to speak of before certain profane and unclean persons. They would only make a jest of them; perhaps they might persecute you on account of them. No; holy things are for holy men; and as of old the crier in the Grecian temple was wont to say, before the mysteries were performed, «Far hence, ye profane!» so sometimes, before we enter into the innermost circle of Christian converse, it would be well for us to notice who is listening.
Matthew 7:7-8. Ask, and it shall he given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth;
This is the rule of God's kingdom invariably, whenever the request is a right one, and is presented in a right manner.
Matthew 7:8-11. And he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 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?
The point is, not only that God gives, but that he knows how to give. If he were always to give according to our prayers, it might be very injurious to us. He might give us that with which we could do hurt, as when a father should put a stone into a boy's hand; or he might give us that which might do us hurt, as if a father were to give his child a serpent. He will do neither of these things; but be will answer us in discretion, and with prudence will he fulfill our desires. You know how to give to your children; how much more shall your infinitely wise Father, who from heaven sees all the surroundings of men, give good things to them that ask him?
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.
«The law and the prophets» are here condensed into a single sentence. This is the golden rule, a handy rule, a perpetually-applicable rule, useful in every condition, and it never makes a mistake.
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.
It is a way of self-denial, it is a way of humility, it is a way which is distasteful to the natural pride of men; it is a precise way, it is a holy way, a strait way, and therefore men do not care for it. They are too big, too proud, to go along a narrow lane to heaven; yet this is the right way. There are many broad ways, as Banyan says, that abut it; but you may know them by their being broad, and you may know them by their being crowded. The Christian man has to swim against the current; he has to do more than that, he has to go against himself, so strait is the road; but if you wish to go down to perdition, you have only to float with the stream, and you can have any quantity of company that you like.
Matthew 7:15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing,
Dressed like Elijah.
Matthew 7:15. But inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Very Ahabs and Jezebels; and they will deceive you, if you are not divinely guarded against them.
Matthew 7:16. Ye shall know them
How? By their eloquence? No. Some of the worst of teachers have had great persuasiveness. You shall know them by their earnestness? No. Some have compassed sea and land to make proselytes to a lie. You shall know them how, then?
Matthew 7:16. By their fruits.
If their teaching makes you better, if it makes you love God, if it draws you to holiness, if it inspires you with noble and heroic sentiments, so that you imitate Christ, then listen to them.
Matthew 7:16-20. 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.
After all, this is the best test of any doctrine, the practice to which it leads. I remember one day discussing with a person about the doctrine of future punishment. We were arguing, and the gentleman, who owned the vessel on which we were, said, «Come up on deck, and enjoy the fresh air, and leave that subject; but,» he said, «you, sir, will kindly go as far as possible from my men, for they are bad enough as they are, and if you tell them there is no punishment for sin, they will be worse than ever. As for you, Mr. Spurgeon, you may go where you like, you won't do them any harm.» I thought that rough and ready mode of argument was about as good a commendation as I could wish to have.
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.
Not talking, but doing, not loud profession, but quiet, practical godliness, wins the day.
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.
If Christ does not know us, it matters not what we do. Even if we work miracles, if we astound the world with our abilities, it is all nothing if Christ does not know us. Now, I think there are many here who can humbly but confidently say, «He knows me.» He knows some of us, if by nothing else, by our constantly begging of him. We have been at him day and night in our necessities, pleading for his bounty, his mercy, his company; and he cannot say he does not know us. He knows a great deal about us, even through our prayers, if by no other way.
Matthew 7:24. 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:
What a mercy there is a rock to build on! We could not have made one; but there is the rock.
Matthew 7:25. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
For the best man will have his troubles.
Matthew 7:25. And beat upon that house;
For the best man will feel the troubles; they will come home to him.
Matthew 7:25-27. 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,
For the worst of men will have their troubles. There is no escaping the trials of life by sin.
Matthew 7:27. And the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
There was no building it again; it was altogether gone, swept right away,
no vestige of it remained.
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.
He touched their conscience; his teaching came home to them; they could not help feeling that it was true. Besides, he did not keep on quoting Rabbi this and Rabbi that, but he spoke from his own knowledge: «He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.»