Matthew 7:15-29

Matthew 7.15-29

False prophets have always been a grave danger to God’s people. In the context of The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is warning against those teachers who offer an easy, less hard and less rigid way. Jesus does not use doctrine or profession of faith as a test, but life as the test. Fruit! Nominal discipleship is damning. Many disciples will in the end be rejected. Is nominal discipleship all that the church is teaching and offering? More directly am I nothing more than a nominal disciple?

In the Judgment there is a rejection of a nominal disciple. These nominal disciples come to the judgment and very likely come with great confidence. They sincerely believe they are in a right relationship with the Lord. They’re claiming a disciple/master relationship that their lives do not match, and a life of obedience is the criterion for discipleship. In Jesus's name they have done some pretty remarkable things. Miraculous activity is no replacement for obedience. Sermons, blogs, books-these count for nothing. In verse 23, the point is relationship with Jesus-not a claimed relationship-but a real relationship. Not a relationship built on my terms or activities, but a relationship lived on His terms.

Jesus concludes with the warning parable of the wise and foolish builders. Survival of the flood is based on doing of His works. The parable represents both the struggles of this life and the judgment of God. Only God-given strength brings survival of a God-given flood.

There is in this passage a terrible struggle of works and grace. We can only be saved by grace, but works are a critical part of our life as a disciple. Works do not merit salvation, but our works remind us of what death awaits us in living for ourselves. Each step takes us closer to one end or another.

"Lord, save me from myself, from self defined discipleship. AMEN"

Matthew 7:1-14

 Matthew 7.1-14

Judge not. Jesus is not calling for a suspension of thinking, accountability, or morals and ethics. He is calling for the suspension of faultfinding for the purpose of condemning. This is all about motivation; the difference is in loving people and helping them move toward the kingdom rather than trying to create barriers. There are those who make a life of finding fault in others and then prescribing their solutions for them. Jesus warns that this is not the case for the disciple. If we are to condemn another we must begin with ourselves for that is the only place where we can have the needed experience to offer compassion.

Giving that which is holy to dogs is unthinkable. So is spiritual guidance to the self-righteous, the hypocrite, the one who rejects, and the caustic. Jesus then shifts to the subject of prayer, but how are they related? Asking, seeking and knocking is not solely about getting into Heaven, nor about naming and claiming blessings for this life. But how is the giving that which is holy to dogs or pearls to swine related to asking, seeking and knocking? Is prayer, which is a precious treasure, not to be wasted by praying for and about the unholy people or world events? Jesus talks about the limitation of the holy and pearls and then calls for us to pray. Perhaps this is a reminder that some requests cannot be made right even by prayer. Or put another way there is no use asking God to help you find a cheap, clean and good looking prostitute to hire. You cannot make unholy things right by praying for or about them. Don't take the holy thing of prayer and toss it to a pig.

The presence of the golden rule in verse 12 seems to indicate that we are not far removed from conversations about specks and beams. This is a summation of the scripture regarding ethics. No statement of ethics will ever come close to the simple Golden Rule. Almost all moral philosophers admit their great respect for the Golden Rule. All of the Lord's teachings, but specifically the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount are meant to be obeyed, rather than simply admired and respected. The point of the teaching was how to live as a disciple. Now here is the challenge of being a disciple. The real disciple lives out the Master’s demands not simply accepting them as true, but by living them. The life of the disciple is decisive; they decide to obey. Everyday and every moment the disciple decides to obey. It is a choice that we are free to make. It is a difficult choice to make, but it is a way that is the only way to life.

"Lord, give me the help and strength today to obey the command to treat all men as I would have them treat me. AMEN"