Judging Others and the Golden Rule
Study note
Jesus warns against hypocritical judgment -- criticizing others while ignoring one's own faults -- using the vivid image of a plank versus a speck. He then encourages persistent, confident prayer, assuring his listeners that God is a generous Father who gives good things to those who ask. The Golden Rule summarizes all the teaching of the Law and Prophets in a single practical principle: treat others the way you wish to be treated.
1 Judge not, that you be not judged. Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 The way you size up other people is the way you yourself will be sized up. Whatever measuring stick you use on them will be the same one used on you. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 How come you notice a tiny speck of sawdust in someone else's eye? You completely miss the huge wooden beam in your own eye! 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 How can you say to someone, 'Let me get that speck out of your eye,' when a giant board is blocking your own sight? 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 What a fraud! Pull the board out of your own eye first. Then you will be able to see well enough to help with that speck in someone else's eye. 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.
6 Don't hand over something sacred to wild dogs. Don't toss your valuable pearls in front of pigs. The pigs will stomp all over them, and then they will turn around and attack you. 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.
7 Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 Because everyone who asks gets an answer. Everyone who looks finds what they are searching for. And everyone who knocks sees the door swing open. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Think about it — if your child asked you for some bread, would you hand them a rock? Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 If they asked for a fish, would you give them a snake? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 You are flawed human beings, and yet you still know how to provide good things for your kids. So imagine how much more your Father in heaven will give good things to people who come to him and ask! 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?
12 Therefore, in every situation, treat other people the way you would want them to treat you. That one rule sums up everything the law and the prophets ever taught. 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 Narrow Gate and False Prophets
Study note
Jesus presents two paths -- the broad road leading to destruction and the narrow way leading to life -- emphasizing that genuine discipleship requires deliberate choice. He warns that false prophets can be identified by their fruit, not their words or outward appearance. Even dramatic spiritual activities done in Jesus' name are worthless if they do not flow from a genuine relationship with him and obedience to the Father's will.
13 Go through the narrow gate. The wide gate and the easy road lead to ruin, and tons of people take that path. 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 But the gate that leads to real life is small, and the road is tough. Only a few ever manage to find it. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Be on the lookout for fake prophets. They show up looking like harmless sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are vicious, hungry wolves. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 The way to spot them is by looking at what they produce. You don't find grapes growing on thorn bushes or figs growing on thistles, do you? Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 It works the same way with people — a healthy tree grows good fruit, and a rotten tree grows bad fruit. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A healthy tree is not able to produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree is not able to produce good fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Any tree that keeps producing bad fruit eventually gets chopped down and burned. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 So the way to identify people is by examining the results of their lives. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' is going to make it into the kingdom of heaven. The ones who get in are the ones who do what my Father in heaven wants. 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 When that final day comes, plenty of people are going to say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we speak your messages? Didn't we force out demons using your name? Didn't we do all kinds of amazing things in your name?' 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 I will look right at them and say, 'I have no idea who you are. Get away from me. All you ever did was evil.' And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The Wise and Foolish Builders
Study note
The Sermon on the Mount concludes with a parable that draws a sharp line between hearing Jesus' words and actually doing them. The wise builder who builds on the rock represents the person who puts Jesus' teaching into practice, while the foolish builder on sand represents one who merely listens. The crowd's amazement at Jesus' authority underscores that his teaching carries a weight and finality unlike anything they had heard from their scribes.
24 So everyone who listens to what I say and does it is like a smart builder. He put his house on top of solid rock. 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 Heavy rain poured down, rivers rose and flooded, strong winds howled and slammed against that house. But it stood firm because its foundation was rock. 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 But everyone who hears what I say and does nothing about it is like a foolish builder. He put his house right on top of sand. 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 Heavy rain poured down, rivers rose and flooded, strong winds howled and slammed against that house. And the whole thing collapsed — a complete disaster." 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.
28 By the time Jesus finished this teaching, the crowds were blown away. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 He spoke with real power. He was nothing like their usual religious teachers. For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.