Coming of the King: Week 15

Matthew 7:1-12: Humility in the Kingdom

• 7:1 "judge not" - and yet in 7:6 we are told to judge. Paul enjoins the Corinthians not to judge the "motive of men's hearts" 1 Corinthians 4:5. A few paragraphs later he rebukes them for having not "removed from your fellowship the man who did this" 1 Corinthians 5:2. God tells Samuel that "man sees the outward appearance". We can judge the fruit, but not the heart. Luke records Jesus as saying "condemn not" Luke 6:37, and here in Matthew, "krino" means to render final judgement in a court - something we cannot do when it come to a final judgement. But again, Paul enjoins the Corinthians to judge disputes among believers within the church 1 Corinthians 6:2-4. And Jesus in 7:16 says to judge others by their fruit.

  In the Catholic world, "Christian" is defined externally - are you properly baptized? In the Protestant world, "Christian" is defined subjectively - are you a real believer? This latter definition can lead to saying "he is not a real believer", rather than judging actions. When we judge the worth of a person based on externals, "we are become judges with evil motives" James 2:3-4.

• 7:3 "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment" Romans 12:3, and "in humility consider others more important than yourselves" Philippians 2:3.
• 7:6 "pearls before swine" - "do not answer a fool according to his folly" Proverbs 26:4-5
• 7:7 So how do we "stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly” John 7:24? This is the context of "ask and it shall be given you". For "if any lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given him" James 1:5.
• 7:12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." And that is the end result of humility and asking for wisdom: bearing one another's burdens and correcting in love. "Rebuke a wise man and he will love you" Proverbs 9:8.