The Gospels · New Testament
Matthew 7
Matthew 7: judging, asking, two gates and two builders
General context
Jesus tells the hearer not to judge, since the measure used will be measured back, and sets the picture of the mote in a brother's eye against the beam in one's own. He warns against giving holy things to dogs or pearls to swine. He then urges asking, seeking and knocking, and argues from a father who would not hand a son a stone instead of bread or a serpent instead of a fish. The rule about doing to others what one would want done is said to be the law and the prophets. Two gates and two ways follow, one wide and much travelled, one narrow and found by few. False prophets in sheep's clothing are to be known by their fruits, since a good tree and a corrupt tree each bear according to kind. Saying Lord, Lord is not enough; some who claim prophecy, exorcism and wonderful works will hear that they were never known. The discourse ends with two builders, one on rock and one on sand, and identical storms with opposite outcomes. The narrator then reports that the people were astonished, because he taught as one having authority and not as the scribes.
Cited passages: Matthew 7:1, Matthew 7:2, Matthew 7:3, Matthew 7:5, Matthew 7:6, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 7:9, Matthew 7:11, Matthew 7:12, Matthew 7:13, Matthew 7:14, Matthew 7:15, Matthew 7:16, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 7:23, Matthew 7:24, Matthew 7:26, Matthew 7:28, Matthew 7:29
Matthew 7 (KJV)
1Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4Or 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?
5Thou 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.
6Give 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.
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11If 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?
12Therefore 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.
13Enter 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:
14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not 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.
22Many 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?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25And 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.
26And 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:
27And 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.
28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
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Historical context
The last two verses are the narrator's, not part of the speech, and they close the discourse that began when Jesus went up into a mountain and taught his disciples. The comparison the narrator draws is with the scribes, who are named here without further description. Within the speech the false prophets are not identified by name, group or place. The day named in verse 22 is called that day and is not dated or located. The exchange in verses 22 and 23 is given in the future tense as speech that will be said rather than as a reported event. The text says the people were astonished at his doctrine, and does not report that they agreed with it or acted on it.
Cited passages: Matthew 5:1, Matthew 7:15, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 7:23, Matthew 7:28, Matthew 7:29
Literary context
The chapter thinks in pairs. Two eyes carry a mote and a beam, two gates open on two ways, two kinds of tree bear two kinds of fruit, and two builders meet the same weather. The closing parable makes the pairing exact: rain, floods and winds are listed in the same order for both houses, and only the last clause changes, from it fell not to it fell, with the added note that great was the fall of it. Questions do much of the work, two about a brother's eye and three more about what a father hands a son, each expecting the hearer to supply the obvious answer. The repeated address Lord, Lord is given to speakers who are refused, which sets saying against doing just before the builders arrive. The narrator's two closing verses stand outside all of this and report the crowd's reaction rather than a verdict.
Cited passages: Matthew 7:3, Matthew 7:9, Matthew 7:10, Matthew 7:13, Matthew 7:14, Matthew 7:17, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 7:25, Matthew 7:27, Matthew 7:29
Key moments
- Judge not (Matthew 7:1). Jesus opens with a warning that judgment given will be judgment received.
- Beam before mote (Matthew 7:5). The hearer is told to remove the beam from his own eye first.
- Ask, seek, knock (Matthew 7:7). Jesus urges asking, seeking and knocking with a promise attached to each.
- The rule stated (Matthew 7:12). Doing to others as one would be done by is called the law and the prophets.
- Two gates (Matthew 7:13). A wide gate and a narrow gate are set against each other.
- Lord, Lord refused (Matthew 7:23). Jesus says he will tell some claimants that he never knew them.
- The crowd astonished (Matthew 7:28). The narrator reports the people's astonishment when the sayings end.
For reflection
Both houses in the closing parable get the same rain, floods and winds. What does the reader make of a comparison where the weather is identical and only the foundation differs?
