Scripture Reading:
Matthew 7:1–11
Key Verse:
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:20)
What does this passage teach us?
Verses 1–11. The first portion of these verses is one of those passages of Scripture, which we must be careful not to strain beyond its proper meaning. It is frequently abused and misapplied, by the enemies of true religion. It is possible to press the words of the Bible so far that they yield not medicine, but poison.
Our Lord does not mean that it is wrong, under any circumstances, to pass an unfavorable judgment on the conduct and opinions of others. We ought to have decided opinions. We are to “prove all things.” We are to “try the spirits.” Nor yet does He mean that it is wrong to reprove the sins and faults of others, until we are perfect and faultless ourselves. Such an interpretation would contradict other parts of Scripture. It would make it impossible to condemn error and false doctrine. It would debar any one from attempting the office of a minister or a judge. The earth would be “given into the hands of the wicked” (Job 9:24). Heresy would flourish; wrongdoing would abound.
What our Lord means to condemn is a censorious and fault-finding spirit. A readiness to blame others for trifling offences, or matters of indifference—a habit of passing rash and hasty judgments—a disposition to magnify the errors and infirmities of our neighbors, and make the worst of them—this is what our Lord forbids. It was common among the Pharisees. It has always been common from their day down to the present time. We must all watch against it. We should “believe all things” and “hope all things” about others, and be very slow to find fault. This is Christian charity (1 Cor. 13:7).
The second lesson contained in this passage, is the importance of exercising discretion as to the person with whom we speak on the subject of religion. Everything is beautiful in its place and season. Our zeal is to be tempered by a prudent consideration of times, places, and people. “Reprove not a scoffer,” says Solomon, “lest he hate thee.” (Prov. 9:8) It is not everybody to whom it is wise to open our minds on spiritual matters. There are many, who from violent tempers, or openly profligate habits, are utterly incapable of valuing the things of the Gospel.
They will even fly into a passion, and run into greater excesses of sin, if you try to do good to their souls. To name the name of Christ to such people, is truly to “cast pearls before swine.” It does them not good but harm. It rouses all their corruption, and makes them angry. In short, they are like the Jews at Corinth, (Acts 18:6) or like Nabal, of whom it is written, that he was “such a son of Belial, that a man could not speak to him” (1 Sam. 25:17).
This is a lesson that is peculiarly difficult to use in the proper way. The right application of it needs great wisdom. We are most of us far more likely to err on the side of over-caution than of over-zeal. We are generally far more disposed to remember the “time to be silent,” than “the time to speak.” It is a lesson, however, which ought to stir up a spirit of self-inquiry in all our hearts. Do we ourselves never check our friends from giving us good advice, by our gloominess and irritability of temper? Have we never obliged others to hold their peace and say nothing, by our pride and impatient contempt of counsel? Have we never turned against our kind advisers, and silenced them by our violence and passion? We may well fear that we have erred in this matter.
The last lesson contained in this passage is the duty of prayer, and the rich encouragements there are to pray. There is a beautiful connection between this lesson and that which goes before it. Would we know when to be “silent,” and when to “speak,”—when to bring forward “holy” things, and produce our “pearls?” We must pray. This is a subject to which the Lord Jesus evidently attaches great importance. The language that He uses is a plain proof of this. He employs three different words to express the idea of prayer. “Ask.” “Seek.” “Knock.” He holds out the broadest, fullest promise to those who pray. “Everyone that asketh receiveth.” He illustrates God’s readiness to hear our prayers, by an argument drawn from the practice of parents on earth. “Evil” and selfish as they are by nature, they do not neglect the needs of their children according to the flesh. Much more will a God of love and mercy attend to the cries of those who are His children by grace.
Let us take special notice of these words of our Lord about prayer. Few of His sayings, perhaps are so well known and so often repeated as this. The poorest and most unlearned can tell you “if we do not seek, we shall not find.” But what is the good of knowing it, if we do not use it? Knowledge, not improved and well employed, will only increase our condemnation at the last day.
Do we know anything of this asking, seeking, and knocking? Why should we not? There is nothing so simple and plain as praying, if a man really has a will to pray. There is nothing, unhappily, which men are so slow to do. They will use many of the forms of religion, attend many ordinances, do many things that are right, before they will do this. And yet without this no soul can be saved.
Do we ever really pray? If not, we shall at last be without excuse before God, except we repent. We shall not be condemned for not doing what we could not have done, or not knowing what we could not have known. But we shall find that one main reason why we are lost is this: that we never asked that we might be saved.
Do we indeed pray? Then let us pray on, and not faint. It is not lost labor. It is not useless. It will bear fruit after many days. That word never yet failed, “Everyone that asketh receiveth.”
Questions:
1. What are the themes of chapters 1 through 7?
2. Why should we avoid correcting some people in their sin, or teaching some the wisdom of Scripture?
3. What are the three words Jesus uses to express the idea of prayer in this passage?
4. How many times is God referred to as “Father” in the Old Testament? How does Jesus refer to God in this sermon? How does God compare to earthly fathers?
Family Discussion Questions:
1. What is the difference between righteous judgment and sinful judgment, as described by Jesus in this passage? Are we a judgmental family in the negative sense?
2. Have you ever grown tired of prayer? What should you do, if it appears that God is not answering your prayers?
