Do not judge others otherwise you will be judged. You’ll be judged to the same standard that you judge others. Why do you look for the splinter in your mate’s eye but not notice the log in your own? How can you say to your mate ‘Let me take that splinter out of your eye’ when you still have the log in yours? You hypocrite! Take the log out of your eye. Then you will be able to see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your mate’s eye. Don’t give what is God’s to dogs or throw your pearls to pigs so they trample on them then attack you.
Ask and you’ll receive, search and you’ll find, knock and it will open. Whoever asks will receive, whoever searches will find and whoever knocks will find it open. If your child asks for food, will you just give him a stone? If they ask for fish, will you give them a snake? So, if you, being a dodgy human, give good things to your children, how many more good things is your Heavenly Father going to give you when you ask for them? So, do things for others that you want them to do for you. This is what the law and the prophets taught.
Go through the gate that is hard to get through. The wider gate leads to destruction, and many are going that way. The gate that leads to life is hard to get through and few find it.
Watch out for false prophets who wear sheep skins but are actually predators. You will know them by what they produce. You can’t get grapes from thorn-bushes or figs from thistles. Good trees produce good fruits. Bad trees produce bad fruits. A good tree can’t produce bad fruits and a bad tree can’t produce good fruits. A tree not producing good fruits is chopped down and burned. You will know by their fruits.
Not everyone that says to me ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the heavenly kingdom. Anyone doing the will of my Heavenly Father will enter the kingdom. Many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we preach and cast out demons and perform miracles for you?’ I will tell them ‘I don’t know you. Go away if you’re not sticking to the law’.
So anyone that hears and does what I’m saying is wise. They’re building their house upon rock. When the rain, floods and winds come and batter the house, the house is fine because it has been built upon rock. Anyone that hears what I’m saying but doesn’t do them is an idiot. They’re building their house upon sand. When the rain, floods and winds come and battered this house, it will be completely destroyed.
After Jesus taught all this, the audience was astonished because he was teaching them with authority, not like their usual teachers.
Matthew Chapter 7 Summary
Jesus teaches about the importance of not judging others. He uses the analogy of a splinter in someone else’s eye and a log in our own, highlighting trying to help others while ignoring our own faults. Jesus urges us to remove the log from our own eye before helping others. He also warns against giving what is valuable to those who will not appreciate it, comparing it to throwing pearls to pigs. Jesus encourages his followers to ask, seek, and knock when they have needs. He compares this to a loving parent who provides good things for their children when they ask. He teaches the importance of treating others as we would like to be treated.
Jesus warns against following the easy path that leads to destruction, encouraging people to enter through the narrow gate that leads to life and warns about false prophets who pretend to be good. True followers can be recognised by their actions. Jesus finishes by saying that not everyone who claims to know him will enter the heavenly kingdom; only those who do the will of his Heavenly Father. He stresses the importance of living in accordance with God’s law.
Matthew Chapter 7 Bible Study Questions and Answers
- How does Jesus teach us to treat others?
Answer: Jesus teaches us to treat others as we would like to be treated. This principle is known as the Golden Rule and summarises the law and what the prophets before him were teaching. - What does Jesus warn against judging?
Answer: Jesus warns against judging others, as we will be judged in the same way. He uses the idea of a splinter and a log to illustrate the backwardness of judging others without sorting out our own faults. - What does Jesus mean when he talks about the narrow gate and the wide gate?
Answer: Jesus means that the path to eternal death is wide and many people choose it. However, the path to eternal life is narrow and only a few find it. He encourages his followers to enter through the narrow gate, which represents following God’s ways. - How can we identify false teachers?
Answer: Jesus tells us that false teachers can be recognised by what they produce. Just as good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit, false teachers will show their true nature by their actions. - What does Jesus highlight as the key to entering the heavenly kingdom?
Answer: Jesus highlights that doing what his Heavenly Father desires is the key to entering the heavenly kingdom. Only saying things about faith or outward religious activities are not enough; living in step with God’s will is essential.
Matthew Chapter 7 Explained
In Matthew Chapter 7, Jesus teaches valuable things to his followers, focusing on judgment, prayer, the narrow path, false prophets/teachers, and how it looks to be an authentic follower. He tells us not to judge others, reminding us that the way we judge others will be applied to us as well. Jesus uses the idea of a splinter and a log in the eye to highlight the need for self-reflection and humility of our own problems before attempting to correct others.
Jesus encourages his disciples to ask, seek, and knock, telling them that God will respond to their requests. He compares God’s love to that of a caring parent, who gives good things to their children. Jesus highlights the importance of treating others with kindness and fairness in the Golden Rule, which is an umbrella rule that covers the teachings of the law and the prophets that came before him.
He warns against following the broad path that leads to eternal death and destruction, urging his followers to enter through the narrow gate that leads to life. Jesus highlights how few people find this narrow gate, suggesting that being a true follower requires commitment and dedication. He warns against false teachers who pretend to be good people but produce harmful and false outcomes. By looking at their fruits, the actions and character of these individuals, we can determine their true nature.
Jesus concludes by discussing the importance of doing what his Heavenly Father desires. He says that simply saying you have faith or doing religious activities is not enough for entering the heavenly kingdom. Being a true follower involves aligning our actions and lives with God’s will. Jesus compares those who hear his teachings and put them into practice to a wise person who builds their house on a solid foundation, where it is strong enough to stand against life’s storms. In contrast, those who hear but do not act upon his teachings are like a person who builds their house on top of sand, where it is easily knocked over and destroyed when the storms come.
The audience is amazed by Jesus’ teachings because he speaks with authority, unlike their regular teachers. Jesus’ words challenge conventional wisdom and highlight the importance of genuine faith and righteous living.
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Continue exploring Matthew 7
If you’d like to read Matthew 7 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 7 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 7 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 7 in the Contemporary English Version.
If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
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For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version
If you’d like to explore Matthew in more depth, here are two commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew
Matthew (The Story of God Bible Commentary)
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of Matthew (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)
Not My Life 