Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
“MATTHEW 7:1-12 – THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT”
F. 7:1-12 ON JUDGING: THE GOLDEN RULE
a. 7:1 WHY WE SHOULD BE SPARING IN JUDGING
Me KRIne-te [2919], HIna me kriTHEte.
Judge not, that you be not judged.
b. 7:2 JUDGMENT GIVEN SHALL BE PROPORTIONATELY RETURNED
en ho gar KRIma-ti [2917] KRIne-te, kriTHEses-the:
For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged:
kai en ho MEtro [3358] meTREIte [3354], me-treTHEse-tai huMIN.
and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you.
c. 7:3 THE INCONSISTENCY THAT ACCOMPANIES MOST JUDGMENTS.
ti de BLEpeis [991] to KARphos [2595] to en to oph-thalMO tou a-delPHOU sou;
And why do your behold the mote that is in the eye of your :brother;
ten de en to so oph-thalMO doKON [1385] ou ka-ta-noEIS [2657]?
but do not consider the beam that is in your :eye?
d. 7:4 INCONSISTENCY PREVENTS HELPFUL JUDGMENT
e pos eREIS to a-delPHO sou,
Or how will you say to your :brother,
Aphes [863] ekBAlo [1544] to KARphos ek tou oph-thalMOU sou;
Let me cast out the mote out of your :eye;
kai iDOU, he doKOS [1385] en to oph-thalMO sou?
and lo, the beam is in your :eye?
e. 7:5 THE GREAT PREREQUISITE TO JUDGMENT
hu-po-kriTA [5273], EKba-le PROton ek tou oph-thalMOU sou ten doKON;
Hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your :eye;
kai TOte di-aBLEpseis [1227] ek-baLEIN to KARphos
and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote
ek tou oph-thalMOU tou a-delPHOU sou.
out of the eye of your :brother.
f. 7:6 THE NEED FOR DISCRIMINATION IN SHARING!
Me DOte [1325] to HAgi-on [40] tois kuSIN [2965],
Give not what is :holy to the dogs,
meDE BAle-te [906] tous mar-gaRItas [3135] huMON EMpros-then ton CHOIron [5519],
neither cast your :pearls before the swine,
ME po-te ka-ta-paTEsou-sin [2662] auTOUS en tois poSIN [4229] auTON,
lest haply they shall trample them under their feet,
kai straPENtes [4762] RExo-sin [4486] huMAS.
and should turn and rend you.
g. 7:7-8 WISDOM IN JUDGMENT: GIVEN FOR DILIGENT SEEKING
AiTEIte [154], kai doTHEse-tai [1325] huMIN; zeTEIte [2212], kai euREse-te [2147];
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find;
KROUe-te [2925], kai a-noiGEse-tai huMIN:
knock, and it shall be opened to you:
pas gar ho aiTON lamBAnei [2983]; kai ho zeTON heuRISkei;
8 for every one that asks receives; and who seeks finds;
kai to KROUon-ti [2925] aNOIge-tai [455].
and to him that knocks it is being opened.
h. 7:9-10 ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ANSWERS: TAKEN FROM EARTHLY FATHERS
e tis ex huMON ANthro-pos [444], hon,
Or what man of you, who,
aiTEsei [154] ho huiOS auTOU ARton [740], me LIthon [3037] e-piDOsei [1929] auTO;
if his :son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;
e kai ichTHUN [2486] aiTEsei, me Ophin [3789] e-piDOsei auTO?
10 or also if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?
i. 7:11 GOD SURPASSES EARTHLY FATHERS IN GOOD GIVING
ei oun huMEIS, po-neROI [4190] ONtes,
If you therefore, being evil,
OIda-te DOma-ta [1390] a-gaTHA diDOnai tois TEKnois [5043] huMON,
know how to give good gifts unto your :children,
POso MALlon ho paTER huMON ho en tois ou-raNOIS
how much more shall your :Father who is in the heavens
DOsei [1325] a-gaTHA tois aiTOUsin [154] auTON?
give good things to them that ask him?
j. 7:12 GOD GIVES WISDOM ON BASIS OF GOLDEN RULE
PANta oun HOsa eAN theLE-te [2309] HIna poiOsin [4160] huMIN hoi ANthro-poi,
All things therefore whatsoever you would that :men should do to you,
HOUtos kai huMEIS poiEIte auTOIS:
thus do you also to them:
HOUtos gar es-tin ho NOmos [3551] kai hoi proPHEtai [4396].
for this is the law and the prophets.
NOTE: Right at the moment Al Houghton at www.wordatwork.org is presenting a series of daily readings on the “Pharisee spirit.” And note – this is not a danger simply for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day! Rather it is an up-to-date spirit that is quite at home in the church!
Whenever we fail to truly identify ourselves with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection – we are in danger of slipping into this judgmental pose. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him DENY HIMSELF, take up his cross, and FOLLOW ME” (Mark 8:34). Oswald Chambers in his book on “The Sermon on the Mount” makes this abundantly clear. In his daily devotional “My Utmost for His Highest,” this concept is also crystal clear.
I wrote down last October 2006 – “Don’t judge – Just pray!” Next I jotted down, “Write to please the Lord – not people.” If we can write so that it pleases both the Lord and people at the same time – well and good. But if the choice is either/or – then let it ALWAYS be to please the Lord first.
In the context of our Sermon on the Mount reading today, see how the Golden Rule permeates and concludes all spoken on judging and giving. We can say for this section, “Thank You, Jesus – for making this subject so clear.” This would be a good section to memorize and meditate upon. It adequately breaks the Pharisee spirit in each one of us.
It is interesting to note that the Golden Rule equivalent appears in at least 6 other major cultures! It takes rudeness and insensitivity out of our character, and lets Jesus live out through us HIS consideration, love, kindness, sensitivity, gentleness and EVERYTHING ELSE that He is!