# Matthew 07 📖: Judging, Asking, and Building Wisely [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Matthew Overview]] | [[Matthew 06]] | [[Matthew 08]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### Do Not Judge **Title**: **Principle**: God is Just. He will let you judge, but do not sit in the seat of sentencing. See fruit, but do not cast final judgement. [[#Verse 01]] “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  [[#Verse 02]] For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. [[#Verse 03]] Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own?  [[#Verse 04]] Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own?  [[#Verse 05]] You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  [[#Verse 01]] Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. ### Ask, Seek, Knock **Title**: **Principle**: Take the stance of son, not stranger. [[#Verse 07]] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.  [[#Verse 08]] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  [[#Verse 09]] Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  [[#Verse 10]] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  [[#Verse 11]] If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  [[#Verse 12]] In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets. ### The Narrow Gate **Title**: **Principle**: Salvation’s byproduct is fruit. [[#Verse 13]] “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  [[#Verse 14]] How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it! ### A Tree and Its Fruit **Title**: **Principle**: Fruit is noticeable. [[#Verse 15]] “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.  [[#Verse 16]] You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?  [[#Verse 17]] In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  [[#Verse 18]] A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit.  [[#Verse 19]] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  [[#Verse 20]] So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. ### Judgment of Pretenders **Title**: **Principle**: God truly knows us. [[#Verse 21]] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.  [[#Verse 22]] On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name?’  [[#Verse 23]] Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ ### Hearing and Doing **Title**: **Principle**: Doing what God says is the only solid way to live. [[#Verse 24]] “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.  [[#Verse 25]] The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation had been laid on rock.  [[#Verse 26]] Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  [[#Verse 27]] The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed—it was utterly destroyed!” [[#Verse 28]] When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching,  [[#Verse 29]] because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law. # ==📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary== ##### Verse 01 ##### Verse 02 ##### Verse 03 ##### Verse 04 ##### Verse 05 ##### Verse 06 ##### Verse 07 ##### Verse 08 ##### Verse 09 ##### Verse 10 ##### Verse 11 ##### Verse 12 ##### Verse 13 ##### Verse 14 ##### Verse 15 ##### Verse 16 ##### Verse 17 ##### Verse 18 ##### Verse 19 ##### Verse 20 ##### Verse 21 ##### Verse 22 ##### Verse 23 ##### Verse 24 ##### Verse 25 ##### Verse 26 ##### Verse 27 ##### Verse 28 ##### Verse 29 ##### Verse 30 ##### Verse 31 ##### Verse 32 ##### Verse 33 ##### Verse 34 ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. The "beam" in 7:3 is a large piece of lumber, a deliberate exaggeration that shows Jesus' vivid teaching style. 2. The Greek verbs ask, seek, and knock in 7:7 are present tense, suggesting ongoing action: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. 3. Rabbi Hillel, an older contemporary of Jesus, taught a negative form of the Golden Rule: what is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. Jesus states it positively (7:12). 4. Dogs and pigs (7:6) were unclean animals to Jews, and dogs were usually scavengers rather than pets. 5. Wolves were a real danger to flocks in ancient Israel, so a wolf disguised as a sheep (7:15) was a vivid picture of a false teacher. 6. Grapes and figs were two of the most important fruits of Israel, often named together as signs of blessing (Micah 4:4). 7. Dry streambeds in Israel can flood suddenly during heavy rains, which explains the danger of building on sand (7:26-27). 8. The crowds were amazed because Jesus taught with authority, not like their experts in the law (7:28-29), who usually cited earlier teachers. 9. Matthew closes each of his five major teaching sections with a phrase like "when Jesus finished saying these things" (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). 10. Calling Jesus "Lord, Lord" (7:21-22) is not enough. Jesus says what matters is doing the will of His Father. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the narrow gate and the solid rock (7:13-14, 24-25). Those who hear His words and obey them build lives that stand, because no other foundation can be laid than Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). ## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Jesus tells us to remove the beam from our own eye before helping a brother with a speck (7:3-5). How should this shape the way we address others' sin? 2. Jesus invites us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking (7:7-11). What does this teach about God's heart as a Father? 3. Both builders heard Jesus' words, but only one obeyed (7:24-27). What is one teaching of Jesus you need to put into practice this week? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 1: Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. - 📖 verse 7: Keep asking, seeking, and knocking, and God will answer. - 📖 verse 12: Treat others the way you want to be treated, because this sums up the Law and the Prophets. - 📖 verses 13-14: The gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life. - 📖 verses 24-25: The wise person hears Jesus' words, does them, and builds on the rock. ## 🔗 Related Passages - 🔗 [[Luke 06#Verse 37.|Luke 6:37-42]] and [[Romans 02#Verse 01.|Romans 2:1]] - You who judge do the same things. - 🔗 [[Luke 11#Verse 09.|Luke 11:9-13]] - The Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. - 🔗 [[James 01#Verse 05.|James 1:5]] - If you lack wisdom, ask God. - 🔗 [[Romans 13#Verse 08.|Romans 13:8-10]] - Love fulfills the law. - 🔗 [[John 10#Verse 09.|John 10:9]] and [[John 14#Verse 06.|John 14:6]] - Jesus is the gate and the way. - 🔗 [[Acts 20#Verse 29.|Acts 20:29]] and [[2 Peter 02#Verse 01.|2 Peter 2:1]] - Wolves and false teachers among the flock. - 🔗 [[Luke 06#Verse 43.|Luke 6:43-45]] and [[Galatians 05#Verse 19.|Galatians 5:19-23]] - Known by their fruit. - 🔗 [[Luke 13#Verse 25.|Luke 13:25-27]] - "I do not know you." - 🔗 [[James 01#Verse 22.|James 1:22-25]] - Be doers of the word, not hearers only. - 🔗 [[Mark 01#Verse 22.|Mark 1:22]] - Jesus taught with authority. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Matthew 07 - SOAP|Don’t Sit In Judgment]] ## 📂 Internal Notes [GD to Narrow Road Main Session](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wXWdXBYqra07QVz7ZwI3nMDzASZxTev5?usp=drive_link)