Matthew 7
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CHAPTER 7
Judging Others (7:1-6)
(Luke 6:37-38,41-42)
1 Do not judge others. In order to understand this verse, we must distinguish between two kinds of judgment: one is the judgment of a man’s work and behavior, and the other is the judgment of the man himself. Here Jesus is talking about the judgment of man himself.
We must not judge any man’s character, his motives, his thoughts, his inner life, his soul. Only God can judge in this way. Paul wrote: Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls (Romans 14:4).
In Luke 18:11, Jesus gave the example of a Pharisee who judged in the wrong way. The Pharisee said, “God, I thank you that I am not like all other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” In saying this the Pharisee was judging the tax collector standing beside him. He was saying, “I am good; you are no good.”
This condemning, despising attitude toward others is wrong. This kind of judgment we must never do. People like that Pharisee are always looking for others’ faults. They are always trying to “put down” others. They are happy when someone else stumbles and falls into sin. They like to hear bad things about others (see Romans 14:10,13). Such a judging attitude is the opposite of love (see 1 Corinthians 13:4,6-7).
However, there is a second kind of judgment which is correct and necessary. This is the judgment of other men’s outward actions. We must not judge the sinner, but we must judge his sin. We must judge other men’s work and words. Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets” (verse 15). Therefore, we must be able to recognize false prophets and false teachers. We must compare their teaching to the teaching of the Bible. Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred” (verse 6). “Dogs” are those who oppose God; they disobey God. We must be able to recognize God’s enemies. Jesus said that we will be able to recognize them by their fruit (verses 16,20). Therefore, we must judge their fruit.
Those in authority also must make judgments about men’s actions. Judges must make judgments in court. Leaders in the church must DISCIPLINE those under them (see 1 Corinthians 5:1,3-4). But even though those in authority must make judgments concerning man’s behavior, they cannot know all about the person they are judging and disciplining. Only God can give an absolutely true and final judgment about man, because only God knows everything.
2 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. If we judge others in the wrong way, God will judge us. If we condemn others, God will condemn us. If we forgive others, God will forgive us (Luke 6:37). God forgave us while we were sinners. If we do not forgive others, it means we have not received God’s forgiveness. We do not know what forgiveness is. We are condemned (see Matthew 6:14-15).
From this, we see that God will treat us as we treat others. In the same way we judge others, God will judge us. God will show us as much mercy as we show to others. As much as we give to others, God will give to us. In Luke 6:38, Jesus says: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” This refers to a container of flour; God will pack the container full. God will not be stingy. He is completely fair. Whatever we give, He will give back in full measure, and even more (see Mark 4:24 and comment).
On the final day of judgment, we will all stand before God’s judgment seat (Romans 14:10). Even those who have been saved must be judged for their works (see 1 Corinthians 5:10 and comment). We shall be judged for every careless word we speak (see Matthew 12:36-37). Therefore, let us heed the teaching of these verses. Let us not condemn others; rather, let us show mercy. Because on the day of judgment we will need much mercy from God.
3 In verses 3-5, Jesus gives us another reason why we must not judge: namely, we are not worthy to judge; we cannot see clearly enough to judge.
When we see another person making a mistake or sinning, how quick we are to accuse and criticize! “Oho, such a thing!” we say. We suppose that it is our duty to point out the faults of others. But when we do this we are hypocrites, says Jesus. We seek to get rid of the speck of sawdust, the tiny sin, from our brother’s heart, but we don’t care about removing the plank, the big sin, from our own heart.
4 It is because of our own sin that we cannot see clearly to remove the speck from another’s eye, that is, to remove his sin. Our own sin makes us spiritually blind; it is like having a plank in our eye. When we try to remove our brother’s fault, we are like a blind eye doctor trying to remove a cataract. On one occasion, the Jews caught a woman committing adultery and they wanted to stone her according to the Jewish law (John 8:1-11). Jesus said to them: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). These Jews, because of their own sin, were unworthy to judge the woman.
5 You hypocrite. “Hypocrite” is a strong word. Hypocrites are those who appear righteous outwardly, but inwardly are evil. They are people who say one thing, but in their hearts they believe the opposite. Their speech is slippery. They show concern for their brother’s sin, but secretly they are happy he has sinned. They try to remove their brother’s tiny sin, but make no effort to remove their own sin, which is big and obvious to others, like a plank sticking out of their eye.
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye. Our “plank” is our hypocrisy. It is our judging and condemning spirit. It is our pride and self-righteousness. Whatever sin our brother has committed, our judging and condemning spirit is a greater sin. Think about that.
Instead of judging others, let us judge ourselves (see 1 Corinthians 11:31). Let us remove the “plank” from our own eye. It is not easy to remove the plank. It is humiliating; it is painful. But we must do it.
Having removed the plank from our eye we will be more humble, more sympathetic toward others. When we start judging ourselves, we stop judging others. Not only that, we shall be able to see clearly. We will be able to see our brother as God sees him. We will look at him with love and mercy. Yes, we will still see the “speck” in his eye. We will want to help him remove it (see Galatians 6:1 and comment). But our judging and condemning spirit will be gone.
6 The Jews considered dogs and pigs to be unclean. They would never think of giving meat offered at the temple to a dog. And to share spiritual blessings with unspiritual Gentiles would, in their mind, be like feeding pearls to pigs. What would happen if pigs were given pearls to eat? The pigs would spit out the pearls and trample on them, and then turn and attack those who gave them.
Therefore, we must understand that the dogs and pigs mentioned here are hardhearted unbelievers who deliberately and continually oppose God. They are those who cannot accept the words, the “pearls,” of God. To such men there is no use telling spiritual things (see Luke 23:9; Acts 13:4446; 18:5-6).
However, we must be very careful who we call “dogs” and “pigs.” Most men are not dogs and pigs. Such men are very few. But even though they are enemies of God, we must love them (Matthew 5:44). Even though we may not speak with them, we must pray for them and show mercy to them (see Romans 12:14,17,19-21). Such men are slaves of Satan. They are without hope, without light. May God help us to love them.
Ask, Seek, Knock (7:7-12)
(Luke 6:31; 11:9-13)
7-8 The Christian life is a journey. Jesus never told us that the journey would be easy. But here in these verses He says that there is One who will give us everything we need for that journey, who will show us the way, who will open doors, and who at the end will open the door into heaven and eternal life. And all we have to do is to ask, seek, and knock (verse 7).
Jesus did not say that if we ask we will get what we want. Many times we ask and do not receive (see James 4:3). We are disappointed with God. But then, at the right time, God gives us something better. God knows much better than we do what is needed for our journey.
Ask and it will be given to you. What are we to ask for? We are to ask for help to be a Christian, to follow Christ. It is for this that the promises of these verses are given. Everything we need to follow Christ is available, and it will be given—if we ask in faith (see Mark 11:24 and comment).
Therefore, if our Christian life is weak, it is not God’s fault; it is our own fault. We have no excuse. God has promised to help us on our journey. All we have to do is to ask, seek, and knock, and our Christian life will not be weak.
In the original Greek text, the words ask, seek, and knock really mean “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” “keep on knocking.” We must keep on asking until we receive (see Luke 18:1-8). As much as we ask in faith, that much we shall receive.
What do we need, above all, to follow Christ? The Holy Spirit. We need Christ’s presence, Christ’s Spirit36 within us. Jesus said, “… apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We do not travel on our journey alone. One of the last things Jesus said to His disciples was this: “And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
9-11 God gives good gifts to all men: life, sun, rain, food. But besides that, He gives special spiritual gifts to His own children, that is, believers in Christ.
The Bible clearly teaches that not all men are God’s children; only believers in Christ are God’s children. All men are born as children of Satan; they are born into the kingdom of darkness. By nature all men are evil. In the beginning, every one of us was an enemy of God, a sinner (Romans 3:10). But now, through faith in Christ, we who were once God’s enemies have become God’s children (John 1:12). For us, then, God is now a loving heavenly Father. And when we come to Him and ask, we shall receive.
We shall receive good gifts (verse 11). If evil earthly fathers give “good gifts” to their children, certainly our heavenly Father will give much better gifts to His children. God’s gifts will always be good for us. Perhaps from time to time He will give us various trials, but it will always be for our good (see Romans 5:3-4 and comment). Whatever God gives His children will, in the end, be for their good (see Romans 8:28 and comment).
What is the greatest gift that God wants to give us? The Holy Spirit. In the corresponding verse in Luke’s Gospel, instead of good gifts Luke has written Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). All spiritual gifts are included in the gift of the Holy Spirit. If we have received the Holy Spirit, we have received everything we need for our Christian life, such as the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23), the fellowship of the Spirit, the power of the Spirit.
Let us ask for the highest gift, the Holy Spirit. Let us seek for the highest things—to know God, to know Jesus. Let us knock, and we shall enter into the joyful and glorious life of Christ. With Him we shall be a sharer in all the spiritual riches of heaven—in this life and the next.
12 In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. Many Christians call this the “golden rule,” because among Jesus’ teachings this rule is so important. This rule is, in fact, connected with the second great commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). This “golden rule” tells us how we should love our neighbor. It is easy to say, “Love your neighbor”; but we must ask, “How should I love him?” This golden rule gives the answer. Like the second great commandment, it also sums up the Law and the Prophets37 (see Galatians 5:14 and comment).
This golden rule does not say that parents must stop punishing their children, for example. It does not mean that judges and other authorities must stop punishing criminals. The golden rule refers only to personal relationships with our neighbor.
Think: if everyone would follow this rule, there would be no arguments, no wars, no strikes, no divorce. There would be no need for kings, judges, police, armies. There would be no problems in the world.
In that case, then, why don’t men obey this golden rule? Because of sin. Because man loves himself more than his neighbor. Man’s root sin is self-love, or selfishness. Self-love is the cause of all the strife and trouble in the world.
Our Christian life starts when our self-love begins to die. Our “old man,” our old selfish self, must die (Romans 6:6). But not only must we die; we must be born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5). Without receiving the Holy Spirit, without receiving new spiritual life, we cannot follow Christ. Without the love of God, which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), we cannot follow this golden rule.
The Narrow and Wide Gates (7:13-14)
13-14 Almost all who read or hear Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount given here in Matthew Chapters 5-7 agree that it is an excellent sermon, excellent teaching; they agree that Jesus is a good teacher. But Jesus doesn’t want to hear that. Jesus does not want praise. He wants people to obey Him; He wants them to heed His teaching.
Therefore, Jesus says to us: “Okay, you have heard my teaching. Now what are you going to do about it? Heed it, or not heed it? Go through the narrow gate, or go through the wide gate? There are only two gates. You must choose.”
Let us imagine that we are walking along a path and we come to two gates. There are only two; we must go through one or the other. One of the gates is wide, and the road leading on from it is easy, level. Many people are walking along that road. We think, “Surely so many people cannot be mistaken; they must be on the right road.”
The second gate is narrow. The road leading on from it is also narrow, steep, rocky. Very few people are walking on this road. But Jesus says, “If you want to follow me, you must pass through this small gate and walk on this narrow road.”
To follow Jesus it is necessary to leave the crowd. We must leave the world. Even if all our friends and relatives are walking through the wide gate, we must separate from them. We must stand alone; we must be different. We must turn from the customs of the world. How difficult it is to leave family and friends to follow Christ! (see Matthew 10:35-37). But that is the first step if we are to pass through the narrow gate: we must leave the crowd, the world. We must remember that each of us one day must face God alone. God will judge us one by one. And if on that day we want to enter heaven, we must leave the crowd today and enter in at the narrow gate.
In one way, the Christian life is easy. Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest … my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). The people walking along the wide road are carrying heavy burdens of sins, worries, fears. Those walking on the narrow road do not carry those burdens: Jesus carries them.
However, those on the narrow road must carry one thing: a cross. In order to pass through the narrow gate we must deny ourselves and take up our cross (see Mark 8:34 and comment). We must leave our old self, our “old man,” outside the gate. We must leave our property, our rights, our honor, outside the gate. Our old self must be crucified (Romans 6:6). The only thing we can take with us through that gate is a cross. Paul wrote: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). And he wrote: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14).
The narrow road is difficult. On the way we will meet all kinds of trouble and persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). Satan will put many obstacles and temptations in our way. There will be few conveniences (Matthew 8:19-20). And the road will not get easier. For every stage in our lives, Satan has new temptations to give us.
Therefore, why walk on such a road? Because that narrow road leads to life, ETERNAL LIFE (verse 14). The broad road leads to destruction (Jeremiah 21:8).
Friends, there are only two roads. If you are not walking on the narrow road, then you must be walking on the broad one.
What is the purpose of a road? It leads to some destination. Think of the people walking on the broad road. For them the journey is easy, pleasant. Some are dancing, singing. Some are storing up treasures. Some are getting land and houses. And then they will come to the end of the road. What is that? Death. Where will their singing and dancing be then? What good will their possessions be to them then? (see Mark 8:36; Luke 12:16-20).
Let each man think of where his road is leading. Only the narrow road leads to life eternal. Yes, in this life the road is difficult, but remember the destination! (Romans 18:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17).
Jesus says to everyone: “Enter through the narrow gate.” It is not enough to listen to Jesus’ wonderful teaching. We must obey it. We must enter the gate. When Jesus first called His disciples, He said: “Follow me” (Mark 1:17; 2:14). Jesus gives each of us a choice: to follow, or not to follow. We must choose. Let us not wait. Let us not delay. Jesus may not call to us again.
A Tree and Its Fruit (7:15-20)
(Luke 6:43-44)
15 Watch out for false prophets. These false prophets are false teachers, false Christians, who try to stop people from passing through the narrow gate. They say: “This is not the way; we’ll show you a wider gate and an easier way.”
Why are they so dangerous? Because they seem on the outside to be good. Their teaching sounds good. But they lead men to destruction. That’s why Jesus calls them ferocious wolves (see Acts 20:29-31).
16 We can recognize false prophets by their fruit, that is, by their teaching and by their work. They talk about God, about Jesus, about love and joy, but they do not talk about the narrow gate. They teach only the easy things, the pleasant things about the Christian religion. But they never teach about the holiness of God, about His wrath against sin.
The false prophets say to sinful man: “Don’t worry; all is well. God will forgive you.” But they don’t preach about repentance, about turning from sin, about denying oneself. Jeremiah spoke of such false prophets in his time: “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:13-14). And men like to listen to such prophets, because they say things that men like to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
17-18 Some false prophets are easy to recognize. They are like thornbushes and thistles (verse 16). But other false prophets are hard to recognize. They are like fig trees with beautiful leaves, but they bear bad fruit, or no fruit.
According to the tree, so will be its fruit. According to what we are, so ultimately will our actions be. If we are of the world, our fruit will also be of the world. If we are of the Spirit, our fruit will also be of the Spirit. In Luke 6:45, Jesus said: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” As are our hearts, so will we speak (see Matthew 12:33-35 and comment).
Sometimes a bad tree seems to give good fruit. We are fooled. A person may say, “I am a Christian; I believe.” For some time he may act like a Christian. But in the end he falls away. Peter says that such people are like pigs who have been washed, but then return to the mud (see 2 Peter 2:2022). We can wash a pig on the outside, but if his inward nature is not changed, it will soon go back into the mud. False Christians are like that.
19 A tree that bears no fruit or bad fruit will be cut down. A person who says, “I believe,” but bears no fruit of the Holy Spirit will also be “cut down” and rejected by God (John 15:6).
20 Jesus said: “I chose you … to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16). The fruit we must bear is described in Matthew 5:3-10. The same fruit is also described in other words in Galatians 5:2223. These fruits are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.38 They are the signs of a true Christian. People will know us by our fruit.
Words and Works (7:21-23)
21 People deceive themselves in two ways. Some suppose: “If I believe—if I say ‘Lord, Lord’—then I am saved. Then I can do anything I want. I can commit all kinds of sins; I don’t have to obey Christ.”
Others deceive themselves in the opposite way. They suppose that if they do great works, they will be saved. They suppose that if their outward behavior is okay, they will be accepted by God (verses 22-23).
But Jesus teaches in this section that those who only say “Lord, Lord,” but do not obey Him, are going to hell. And those who only do good works but do not have true faith are also going to hell. To obtain salvation both faith and good works are necessary (James 2:24).
To do true good works means to obey Christ. Good works are the proof of our faith. Faith must always give rise to good works, or it is not true faith. Therefore, we can never separate faith and works. Faith without works is dead (see James 2:14-17 and comment). And works without faith are vain. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Without faith natural man cannot obey God’s will. Without believing in Christ and being born again, no one can follow the teachings of Jesus. Only when we have received Christ’s Holy Spirit through faith can we begin to obey these teachings.
In this verse Jesus speaks of those who call Jesus “Lord,” but don’t do what He says (see 1 John 2:4). They claim to know Christ, but they forget that demons also know Him (Mark 1:23-24; James 2:19). The faith of such people is false faith; it will not save them.
Such people may believe Jesus’ teaching, but there is no change in their lives. Some people even pray fervently. They don’t say “Lord” once; they say it twice: “Lord, Lord.” They speak and pray with fervor and great emotion. But, without obedience, such fervor and emotion is of the flesh and not of the Holy Spirit. Only those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells and who live in obedience to Christ will enter the kingdom of heaven. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9). And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).
22-23 In these verses Jesus talks about those who do great works but who do not have true faith nor the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is possible even to prophesy and drive out demons and to perform miracles in Christ’s name without having true faith. But such people will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Paul the great apostle knew this truth. He knew that even though he preached the Gospel and did miracles, if he did not control his body and keep living in faith and obedience, he himself would be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).
Paul also wrote: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy … but have not love, I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Without the love that comes from the Holy Spirit, without the love that comes from true faith, Paul’s great works meant nothing.
How can people do great works, prophesy, and cast out demons without the Holy Spirit? Where do they get their power to do such works? The answer is: from Satan. Satan is powerful; he controls all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8-9). Not only is he powerful, but he is also a deceiver (2 Corinthians 11:14). Through Satan, many false prophets perform signs and miracles in order to deceive Christians (Mark 13:22). Above all, these false prophets deceive themselves. They say, “Look at the works I have done.” But Christ says to them, “I never knew you” (verse 23).
How can we distinguish between works that are from Satan and works that are from the Holy Spirit? The answer is this: The works of the Holy Spirit always bring glory to Christ; the works of Satan always bring glory to Satan and to those who do his work.
Jesus said to His disciples: “… do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). In other words, Jesus is saying: “Do not put confidence in the works that you do; only if your name is written in heaven will you be saved.”
There is no more important question we can ask than this: Is my name written in heaven? Is Christ living in me? Is the Holy Spirit living within me? Because if the answer to these questions is “No,” then on the day of judgment Jesus will say to us: “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! All your works were for your own glory, not for mine.”
Think of the day of judgment. Each one of us will stand before Jesus on that day. What will Jesus say to us? Will He say: “Come … take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world”? (Matthew 25:34). Or will He say: “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers”?
The Wise and Foolish Builders (7:24-29)
(Luke 6:46-49)
24-27 In this parable, Jesus talks about a wise man and a foolish man, that is, a true Christian and a false Christian. Both men think that they are true Christians; both think that they are building their houses on the rock. But the second man is fooling himself.
These two men built the same kind of house. Their houses looked the same. There was only one difference: one had a foundation and the other didn’t. According to Luke 6:48-49, the first man dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. The second man built his house on the ground without a foundation.
From this parable we can learn an important truth: the difference between a true Christian and a false Christian cannot easily be seen. False Christians are like the false prophets of verse 15, who wear sheep’s clothing but really are wolves. When you look at them, they seem just like sheep, that is, true Christians.
What is the most important thing about a house? Its foundation. No matter how excellent a house looks, if there is no foundation, the house has been built in vain. Men need foundations also; and for men there is only one sure foundation: Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). All else is sand.
The false Christian who built his house on sand supposed: “I am safe. I am a Christian. My house will not fall.” Satan desires to give men false security in this way. Judas, the disciple who betrayed Christ, surely supposed at first that he was a true disciple. But from the beginning he was a servant of Satan.
Let each of us examine himself. What kind of house are we building? If our greatest desire is to get security, comfort, peace, then we are building our house on the sand. If our greatest desire is to know Christ and to be like Him, then we are building our house on the rock.
The false Christian seeks his own good first of all. He does not seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). He lives to please himself. He seeks God’s blessings, but he doesn’t seek God. He loves God’s blessings, but he doesn’t love God. He never becomes a true Christian, because he does not put Christ first, he does not make Christ the Lord of his life, he does not make Christ the foundation of his life. His house is built on sand.
The true Christian is the one who knows Christ and obeys Him. He hears the words of Christ and puts them into practice (verse 24). To know Christ is to love Christ. To love Christ is to obey Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” (John 14:21). He is the one who builds his house upon the rock (see Luke 11:28; John 13:17).
How can we distinguish between these two houses? Usually we cannot tell them apart until the rain, streams, and winds come upon them. Only then will the house built on sand fall down.
It is the same with men. Only when trials and troubles come can we tell who are the true Christians. God allows trials and temptations to come upon us in order to test our faith, our foundation (1 Peter 1:6-7). Jesus asks each one of us: “When trials come, will your faith remain firm?”
There are three kinds of trials: the rain, the streams, and the winds (verse 27). The rain stands for various kinds of trouble such as persecution, loss of property, loss of health, and finally, death. These are the trials that come from outside us. The streams stand for worldly desires, worldly pride (see 1 John 2:15). These are the temptations that arise within us. By these two kinds of temptations, outer and inner, Satan tries to overcome us. First Satan tries to make us love the world. Then, if we refuse, he persecutes us.
The winds stand for Satan himself. If the first two kinds of trials fail, Satan attacks us directly with doubt and fear and despair. These are the flaming arrows Paul mentions in Ephesians 6:16. Satan is an evil wind.
Jesus told about these three kinds of trial in the parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-8). Some seed (the word of God) was taken away by birds, that is, by Satan (Mark 4:15). Other seed sprouted, but was scorched by the sun, that is, by outer trouble and persecution (Mark 4:16-17). Other seed sprouted but was choked by thorns, that is, by inner worries and desires (Mark 4:18-19).
God will test each Christian’s foundation. When the rain, streams, and winds come, will our house stand?
28-29 When Jesus had finished the Sermon on the Mount, the people were amazed. They were amazed at Jesus’ teaching. They were also amazed at Jesus Himself (Mark 1:22).
There have been many great teachers in the world. Their teaching has been wise and deep. There have been great prophets. There have been founders of religions like Buddha and Mohammed. But all these teachers have been men. Jesus is different; He is God. And therefore, He speaks with the authority of God. That is why the crowds were amazed.
In the sight of those who listened, Jesus appeared to be just an ordinary man. He was a carpenter’s son. His speech was ordinary. But there was something unusual about Him. He was not like other Jewish teachers of the law. He spoke with the wisdom and authority of God. We, too, are amazed.
But to be amazed is not enough. It is not enough to say, “This is wonderful teaching.” It is not enough to say, “Lord, Lord” (verse 21). We must obey this teaching. Jesus said that the wise man is he “who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice” (verse 24).
Let each person ask: “Is my house built on rock, or is it built on sand?”