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Verses 1-5: "You...be judged" is the opposite of "you judge." Here it does not say that "you...be judged by others" but simply "you...be judged." We know that this refers to being judged by God (1 Cor. 4:4). Judgment here is not the ordinary discerning judgment or the ordinary proper opinion. (1) We need to have a proper view toward others. The Lord said clearly that the Pharisees were hypocrites (Matt. 23:13), but He also said that He did not come to judge the world (John 12:47; 3:17). Paul said that the Corinthians were not spiritual but fleshy (1 Cor. 3:1), yet in chapter four he said, "Do not judge anything" (v. 5). (2) When a matter concerns a particular person, we should let him know. Judging is not only an attitude in our heart, but sometimes it is also expressed through our mouth. Whenever someone comes to us to ask about another person, we must first find out whether the asking one has any relationship with that person. If it is just for the sake of satisfying the itching ears, then it is not necessary to answer him. If it is because he is concerned about the spiritual condition, then it is all right to tell him. The Lord told the disciples to accept the teachings of the Pharisees, but not to imitate their behavior (Matt. 23:2-3). In his last book Paul wrote concerning Alexander (2 Tim. 4:14), Demas (v. 10), Phygelus, and Hermogenes (1:15) in order to help the recipient of his letter to guard against them.
Judging here includes the following two meanings: (1) judging as a judge and (2) being critical or faultfinding.
(1) Judging as a judge. The first mentioning in the Old Testament of this kind of judgment (see Exo. 18:13-27) shows that it is a judgment carried out by the rulers or officials. "Do not judge" means do not be a judge. Therefore, a Christian should not be a government official in politics. Once he becomes a government official, he can be neither merciful nor meek. Thus, he will lose two kinds of blessings. A Christian must not even once represent the law to judge others. The result of not judging others is "that you be not judged." This does not mean that anyone who is not an official judge will not be judged before the judgment seat of Christ. Here, to be judged is to be condemned.
(2) Being critical or faultfinding. Many types of behaviors are borderline behaviors. For instance, losing one's temper is permissible, but losing one's temper and committing sin are very close. If we are not careful, we will cross over the border; if we are careless, we will step into the realm of sin. The examples of the Lord and Paul show that we should speak frankly only when it is profitable to others. Otherwise, we should not speak, especially (1) if we have some bad intention, such as being jealous of others; (2) if it is because of our sin; or (3) if it is because we do not know ourselves. The more a person knows himself, the more lenient he is on others.
Verse 2: "For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you." This verse gives the reason for not judging others. There are two principles in the Bible; one is righteousness and the other is mercy. If you choose to treat people according to righteousness, your reputation, position, and wealth will not suffer loss. You can protect yourself with righteousness. However, the result will be that "with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you." James 2:13 says, "For the judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy." If you choose the principle of mercy, which is the principle of overflowing mercy in Matthew 5, God will also measure to you with the measure of mercy. James 2:13 goes on to say, "Mercy triumphs over judgment."
Verse 3: "And why do you look at the splinter which is in your brother's eye, but the beam in your eye you do not consider?" The preceding verses say that we should not judge; the Lord exhorted people with mercy. Here it tells us that it is improper for us to judge. The preceding verses are concerned with the result in the future; this verse deals with the condition today. Here it is not a matter of whether or not one has a beam in his eye; rather, he has it. If one says that there is a splinter in another's eye, it must be that he has a beam in his own eye. Since he judges that the other has a splinter in his eye, it must be that he himself has a beam in his own eye. If one can see a splinter, which is so tiny, one should be able even more to see a beam. (1) Since you can see the splinter in your brother's eye, this shows that you are quite an expert in sinning, that you are experienced in committing sin. Therefore, it is easy for you to see even a splinter. (2) It must be that you have an improper attitude toward God. Most of the time you see the splinter in your brother's eye because you have a beam in your own eye. The more sins we have, the more critical and faultfinding we are. Here the use of the word "brother" shows that the sermon on the mountain is spoken to Christians.
Verse 4: "Or how can you say to your brother, Let me remove the splinter from your eye, and behold, the beam is in your eye?" The preceding verse is regarding the observation of another's sin, whereas this verse is regarding the exhortation concerning another's sin.
Verse 5: "Hypocrite, first remove the beam from your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." The Lord said it is good to remove the splinter from another's eye. However, one should remove the beam from one's own eye first and then remove the splinter from his brother's eye.
Verse 6: This is a small, separate section. The dogs and hogs here, and especially those mentioned in 2 Peter 2:22, are the people mentioned in 2 Peter 2:21. These people are like those who stay at the entrance of the church and have received some spiritual education. They are not saved. Second Peter 2:22 described the sows as "washed." This kind of washing is merely a kind of noble concept. It is not the forgiveness of sin that we have received.
In the Bible hogs are mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, and dogs are mentioned often in the New Testament. Both hogs and dogs are unclean. Hogs have divided hoofs but do not chew the cud; dogs do not have hoofs, nor do they chew the cud. Therefore, both are unclean. Hogs superficially are better than dogs. The spiritual symbol for a Christian is a sheep. Hogs may signify the so-called church-goers, who seem to have a good outward appearance and possess some superficial knowledge of the truth, whereas dogs are those who have neither the outward nor the inward. Philippians tells us to beware of the dogs (3:2), whereas Revelation says that there are dogs in hell (22:15).
"That which is holy" belongs to God. How can man have the things that are holy? The things that are holy refer to all spiritual things, all things that are out of God. They may refer to revelations or truths, such as the truth of baptism or the truth of the breaking of bread. The "pearls" are "your pearls," referring to what you have personally received from God. The holy things are the ordinary truths that are of God; the pearls are what you have personally and specifically received and experienced. The last part of verse 6 refers to both the hogs and the dogs, and not to the hogs only.
Verses 7-12: This section enters into a new situation. Although the teachings on the mountain are all commandments, they also contain God's promises. Although they all are laws of God, they also contain God's grace. Although they all tell us what we should do, they also tell us that God gives us the strength to do it.
Verses 7-8: "Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened."
"Ask" concerning your conduct, and it shall be given to you; "seek" the kingdom and the righteousness mentioned in the preceding portion, and you will find them; "knock" on the narrow gate that leads to the constricted way, and it will be opened to you. To ask is to pray in a common way, to seek is to pray in a specific way, and to knock is to pray in a direct way. Each step is more pressing than the previous one. Verse 7 is the promise, whereas verse 8 is the principle. Verse 7 is for the individual. Verse 8 begins with "for," indicating that verse 8 should come before verse 7.
There are two practical applications of the promise in verse 7: (1) The power to practice Matthew 5—7 must be obtained by prayer. (2) All prayers of faith will receive an answer.
Verse 11: "If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those who ask Him!" Being evil is because of being born in sin. "If you then being evil...." This includes all people, for no one is good.
Chapters five through seven can be divided into three sections: (1) 5:1-20 deals with our relationship with the old law and the general characteristics of the kingdom of the heavens; (2) 5:21—7:12 deals with the Ten Commandments, the "ten words" (Exo. 34:28, ASV margin); (3) 7:13-27 gives the exhortations.
Verse 12: "Therefore" shows that this verse is a conclusion of all that was previously spoken in the second section, 5:21—7:12, which is on the ten new commandments. The teachings given on the mountain are full of practicality. Here, the phrase "all that you wish" indicates that verse 12 is a principle. Here we see that everything is positive; this is different from the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. Here the emphasis is on what one should do. The teachings given on the mountain do not contradict the law and the prophets; rather, the teachings stand on the same line with the law and the prophets.
Verse 13: What is the difference between the "gate" here and the "door" in John 10:9? The door in John 10:9 is the door of grace, whereas the gate here is the gate of the principles of the kingdom of the heavens. "The narrow gate" is the gate to the kingdom of the heavens. This narrow gate refers to the new law presented in the preceding verses. To "enter in" is a matter of choice, and to walk on "the way" is a matter of practice. To enter in through the narrow gate is to cross the threshold, and to walk on the way is a matter related to our daily life. "Narrow" signifies the strictness of the Lord's commands. "Narrow" is a comparative term. Since the law mentioned above is the "narrow gate," there must be another law, a law that is "wider" or more lenient. From this, we see that the demand of the teachings on the mountain did not exist in the former law.
There are two gates and two ways. One is according to the inward condition, and the other is according to the outward appearance. Christians may choose to enter either of the two gates and to walk either of the two ways. The choice we have today is nothing else but choosing the principles of our life today. However, no one can walk on the constricted way without first entering in through the narrow gate. If you have not entered in through the gate mentioned in Matthew 5—7, you cannot walk on this way.
Why is entering in through the narrow gate so important? The Greek word for destruction has two meanings: one is "perdition" or "corruption," and the other is "destruction." Here it is better to render it "corruption" or "destruction." Destruction means complete ruin. Even if perdition is used, it should refer to something temporal and not eternal. It is still a wide gate and a broad way, even if there is only a requirement of an average outward morality.
Verse 14: "Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it." The way is constricted because it is the way of God's will. It is so narrow that it takes only God's will, and it is so constricted that it takes only God's will. Nothing of the flesh, the world, or today's glory can be brought in. "Few are those who find it." This shows that truth is usually among a small number of people. That the narrow gate and the constricted way need to be found shows that there are many people who do not even know that they exist.
The Greek word for way here in Matthew 7:14 is also used in Acts 9:2, "any who were of the Way," and 19:9, "speaking evil of the Way." The same word is also found in Acts 19:23 and 24:22. In Acts we see that people were exhorted to believe in this Way and to walk on this Way.
Verses 15-20: What kind of people are called "false prophets"? They are those who have received a special kind of inspiration. For example, those who wrote the Bible were called prophets. In 2 Peter 1:21 we are told that a prophet is one who receives inspiration and speaks forth the words of another person. A false prophet is also inspired, but not by the Holy Spirit, and he also speaks forth the words of another person, but not the words of God.
Prophets are directly related to teachings. Sheep are very timid, so the false prophets appear to be the same outwardly. "Wolves" may refer to evil spirits, because the outward sheepskins were stolen by them, and even the inward things are not their own. The "fruits" here refer to teachings. The fruits of the prophets are teachings, not conduct. Whether or not he is a false prophet is determined by what he teaches.
Figs and grapes were the best fruits among the Jews. No teachings of God can be heard from the mouth of the false prophets.
Verse 19: "Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire." These surely are people who will perish.
Verses 21-23 are of one section, verses 24-27 are of another section, and verses 28-29 are of a third section.
Verse 21: "Not every one who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens." Here the Lord told us positively that he who says "Lord, Lord" will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but not every one who says "Lord, Lord" will enter in. "Not every one." These words are crucial. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord...you will be saved." This indicates that the first condition for entering into the kingdom of the heavens is to be saved. However, not every one who is saved will enter into the kingdom of the heavens; not every Christian will participate in the kingdom of the heavens. There is a second condition; that is, those who do the will of God will enter into the kingdom of God.
The general conditions for entering into the kingdom of the heavens are, first, being saved and, second, doing the will of God. Verse 21 gives the general conditions for entering into the kingdom of the heavens. Verse 22 illustrates a particular case of exclusion. Verse 23 gives the specific consequence.
Verse 23: The Greek word for knew is the same as the word for acknowledge in Romans 7:15. There, in Romans 7:15, I do not acknowledge means "I do not consider [it] right." Here, I never knew you may be translated "I never approved of you"; that is, "I never considered what you were doing as right."
Those referred to in verses 21-23 are Christians, for the following reasons: (1) In their context these verses refer to Christians because the teachings on the mountain are spoken basically to Christians. (2) The teachings on the mountain, from the beginning to the end, never speak concerning the way of salvation, for they were spoken to those who were already saved. (3) In this section, verses 21-23, what is dealt with is not the question of faith but the question of behavior. We know that salvation is of faith and not of works. Therefore, here it is not concerned with the perishing of the unsaved. (4) Which day is "that day"? It is the day of judgment at the judgment seat of Christ. Only the saved ones can be there for this judgment. It is not the judgment at the great white throne. (5) They are people who have confessed the Lord as Lord. (6) In their work they are able to prophesy, to cast out demons, and to do works of power in the name of the Lord. "That day" is a special term used in the Bible. The "man's day" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 4:3 refers to today, the present age in which man judges. "That day" is the day of the Lord (Isa. 2:11-12; Zech. 12:9-14; 13:2; 14:1-9; 2 Tim. 1:12, 18; 4:8), referring specifically to the day of judgment at the judgment seat of Christ. Only the saved ones will be judged there.
In Matthew 7:22, the word "many" shows that a great number of people will not be able to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. "Lord, Lord." This is the second time of such calling. "In Your name...we prophesied, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name did many works of power." These few things are the highest gifts in the church. To prophesy is to be a prophet, to cast out demons is to bring in God's kingdom, and to do works of power is to exercise the powers of the age to come. These workers mentioned especially these few things as if to show that they were quite qualified to enter into the kingdom.
According to the original language, the first part of verse 23 may be rendered, "And then I will confess to them." In Matthew 10:32-33 the word "confess" definitely refers to the saved ones. A saved one who does not confess in the Lord but rather denies Him today will not get the glory in that day. What the Lord meant in verse 23 is that "I never confessed that I knew you." Knew here should be more properly translated "approved of." The reason that the Lord does not approve of them is that they are "workers of lawlessness." The Greek word for lawlessness means "overstepping." The workers of lawlessness are those who do not abide by the rules for entering into the kingdom of the heavens. "Depart from Me" indicates that they have no part in the glory, which is different from the glory mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 1:9. The general requirement for entering into the kingdom of the heavens is to be saved and do the will of God.
The Holy Spirit who dwells in man has a personality; He exercises control over man. However, the Holy Spirit who falls upon man is without personality; He is subject to man — the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets (1 Cor. 14:32). The Holy Spirit dwells only in the saved ones, but the Holy Spirit may fall upon an unsaved one, for example, Balaam and Saul. In casting out demons, prophesying, and doing works of power, one may still be doing lawlessness. In these things, there is still the danger of not doing God's will. The iniquity in Numbers 18:1 is an iniquity of violating the sanctuary. We need to pray that we may be delivered from this sin. The three things — prophesying, casting out demons, and doing works of power — will be restored at the end of this age.
Verses 24-27: In this section the Lord used parables to confirm what has been said before. In verse 24 the problem is not whether you have heard it, but whether you will do it. The words have been heard, but doing them is up to the individual. In a broad sense, "these words" include all the teachings given on the mountain; in a narrower sense, they refer to the words in the preceding text concerning doing God's will.
The "rock" here does not refer to the Lord; it refers to the doing of God's will. A "foolish" man is not an evil man. Even the foolish ones mentioned in Matthew 25:2 are not the unsaved ones. Here, it speaks altogether concerning the matter of building. What is beaten by the wind and the rain is the work, the conduct, of the person and not the person himself. Thus, we can see that he is a saved one. Here it does not say that the one who builds his house upon the rock is a good man; it says that he is a prudent man. This is similar to the case of the prudent virgins mentioned in Matthew 25:2.
One "who hears these words of Mine and does them" is one who does according to the words of the Lord. It is not that the foolish one does nothing, since he also goes to build something. Rather, he does not do according to the word of God but according to his own idea. One shortcoming of today's believers is that they imitate people. What is the difference between the prudent and the foolish? Both spent time and effort and both built. However, the foolish man wasted his effort by building on the sand. The prudent man fixes his eyes on the judgment seat. The rain, the river, and the wind refer to great tribulation. The rain descends from above, the wind blows from four sides, and the rivers beat upon the foundation. According to the Bible, "rain" signifies the work of the evil spirits, "wind" signifies teachings of heresy (Eph. 4:14), and "water" signifies the power of the evil spirits.
