5:20 – the “righteousness” of the scribes & Pharisees was a SELF-righteousness; a form of righteousness that God REJECTS & CONDEMNS.
Jesus’ teaching here on JUDGMENT, then, must be understood in light of the HYPOCRISY & SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS of the scribes & Pharisees.
WE shall be judged: v.1.
It is WRONG to think that Jesus is teaching that we should never EVALUATE or CRITICIZE others – but anyone who does so is immediately branded by society as being INTOLERANT & JUDGMENTAL.
In fact, refusing to WARN someone about their SIN is as WRONG & UNLOVING as to fail to warn them of a SERIOUS DISEASE they may have.
The PROBLEM is when we judge the MINOR faults OF OTHERS without dealing with OUR OWN MAJOR faults FIRST.
We are BEING judged: v.2. God will judge US at the END, but PEOPLE are judging us RIGHT NOW.
In the end, GOD will judge us with the SAME TYPE of judgment that we used to judge OTHERS.
He sees you cheat and he hears you lie.
We must be able to SEE CLEARLY if we are to be able to HELP OTHERS: vs.3-5.
Jesus uses hyperbole to emphasize the HYPOCRISY when the sin of the CRITIC is GREATER than the sin of the one being CRITICIZED.
In fact, it is possible that doing “MINISTRY” can be used as a COVER-UP for OUR OWN sins that we refuse to ACKNOWLEDGE or DEAL with.
The picture is of someone who fixes his ATTENTION on something relatively UNIMPORTANT in SOMEONE ELSE, without NOTICING something truly SIGNIFICANT in HIMSELF – in other words, what he finds wrong IN HIS BROTHER is INSIGNIFICANT in COMPARISON with the sin that GOD SEES in HIM.
LOVE & TENDERNESS must be exercised when we seek to HELP OTHERS deal with their sin.
The “SPECK” is NOT IGNORED; it is to be REMOVED – but not before OUR OWN “PLANK” is removed first.
The REASON for judging others: v.6. As God’s people, we are RESPONSIBLE for HANDLING CORRECTLY the HOLY THINGS of God.
NOTHING is more holy than the GOSPEL. It is to be offered TO ALL, but there is a LIMIT to the TIME that it is to be offered to those who OBSTINATELY REFUSE it.
Though we are not to be “JUDGMENTAL,” we are also not to lack DISCERNMENT.
Even JESUS refused to talk to HEROD, & PAUL refused to argue with those who REJECTED the Word.
So, after SUSTAINED REJECTION of the truth, we must MOVE ON to present it TO OTHERS.
The RESOURCES for our judging of others: vs.7-11.
PRAYER is the ONLY WAY to achieve the HIGH STANDARD set in the previous passage.
We MUST PRAY, for ONLY God can JUDGE PERFECTLY. Therefore, we must seek His WISDOM & DIRECTION.
We are to pray with an EXPECTANT attitude. The word “GIVE” is the key word here, used 5 times.
We don’t GET MORE from God by REPEATING our requests over & over (6:7), but we should NEVER TIRE of asking, seeking, & knocking, since GOD never tires of HEARING & ANSWERING.
The CENTRAL POINT is that praying to a LOVING FATHER is EFFECTIVE!
But our MOTIVE in ASKING God must be right, & we must be SUBMISSIVE to His will.
The “RULE” for judging others: v.12.
“YOU” is emphatic – OTHERS may not follow this rule, but His DISCIPLES MUST.
What counts in the end IS NOT what WE think of ourselves, or what OTHERS think of us, but, what will GOD SAY about us?
In these verses, Jesus makes clear that EACH of us MUST CHOOSE between one of ONLY TWO WAYS.
Vs.13-14 – the COMMAND is not to ADMIRE the gate (as some claim to admire JESUS & this particular SERMON), but to ENTER it.
God’s WAY of SALVATION is SIMPLE, but NOT EASY.
V.14 - believers are not FEW in number because the gate is TOO NARROW to include MORE. There is NO LIMIT to those who could ENTER the gate, if they would only choose to go GOD’S way, the way of repentance & faith.
Vs.15-20 – just as there are misleading GATES & misleading WAYS, so there are misleading PREACHERS & TEACHERS.
The MARKET for false teachers is always LARGE, because most people do not want to HEAR the TRUTH.
They are GLADLY HEARD, because they say what people WANT to hear.
The most DANGEROUS characteristic of these false teachers is their claim to be speaking FOR GOD.
“Beware” of them, for they are truly DANGEROUS.
The reality of HELL, etc.
REAL Christians can be DECEIVED by false teachers, if they are CARELESS about PRAYER & careful study of the WORD.
Vs.21-23 – many are deceived because they have a FALSE ASSURANCE, along with a failure to seriously EXAMINE THEMSELVES. Preaching, casting out demons, & working miracles give NO ASSURANCE of salvation.
They may base their confidence on their RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES, or in believing that the GOOD they do OUTWEIGHS the bad (the law of “fair exchange”).
TRUE faith is REVEALED in a time of CRISIS. The DIFFERENCE is the FOUNDATION: OBEDIENCE to the WORD of God: Ps. 1:1-6.
Vs.28-29 – the crowd was AMAZED at Jesus’ teaching – but it doesn’t say that they also BELIEVED what He taught.
They WATCHED & LISTENED – but they did not DECIDE.
He speaks with the CONFIDENCE that He is BRINGING IN God’s KINGDOM.
Such a man is either the SON of GOD, or the most brazenly ARROGANT man who has EVER LIVED.