BIBLE IN TEN

Matthew 7:11

Thursday, 6 February 2025
 
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11
 
“Therefore, if you – being evil – you have known to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Father, the ‘in the heavens,’ He will give good to those asking Him” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus questioned if a father would give a serpent to a son who asked for a fish. The obvious answer would be that he would not. Now, He continues with, “Therefore, if you – being evil.”
 
His words are based on a comparison between humanity and God. There are different degrees of evil. We can say, “That person is eviler than any other I have ever known!” However, in comparison to God, all humans are evil.
 
Evil is not a thing in and of itself. Rather, it is a lack of goodness. When a car has a hole because of rust, the hole is a lack of the metal that is supposed to be there. The rust is the process by which the hole comes about. But the hole is not a thing. Rather it is a lack of the good thing, meaning metal. It is brought about by an external agent.
 
In the case of humans, we have a lack of perfection because of sin. Thus, we are evil in comparison to absolute perfection. This is the point Jesus is making. Despite being evil, however, He next says, “you have known to give good gifts to your children.”
 
Jesus introduces the word doma, a gift. It is something that is presented to another. In this case, the implication is that what is presented comes from beyond the immediate means of the person who receives it. Otherwise, it would be something that would have already been earned or obtained on his own. This doesn’t mean the person couldn’t earn or obtain it, but that, at present, it is not within the scope of that person’s assets.
 
As parents, humans have the ability and the desire to give such gifts to our children. Though we lack perfect goodness, we have shades of goodness from person to person. Even the most corrupt person, however, will have something good about him. It might take quite a while to figure out what it is, but it is there.
 
Despite this, Jesus is noting that the general state of humanity is that a father, in his state of being evil, still has the sense to tend to his child and give him what he needs and even what the child may ask for beyond his needs. As this is true with someone who is evil, “how much more your Father.”
 
Jesus now brings in the comparison, meaning the perfect Father who is God. If the man who lacks perfect goodness knows how to tend to his own children, how much more will God know how to tend to His children?
 
We are on earth in a fallen economy. God is “the ‘in the heavens.’” He sees everything perfectly, and He tends to everything perfectly. He is infinitely wise and will always do what is right. When it is appropriate, He will give His children exactly what they need to meet His infinitely perfect plans. As Jesus says, “He will give good to those asking Him.”
 
Of course, this must be in accord with His nature and plans, but when the circumstances are appropriate, God will perform perfectly in providing for His children.
 
Life application: It must be understood that the things we receive from God are appropriate to our needs and the situation in which we exist at any given time. If a saved person lives in a nation that is living contrary to God, it may be appropriate that God withhold the rains from the nation as a whole.
 
In withholding the rains, there will be a lack of food. In a lack of food, there may be hunger. In such an instance, it means that people will starve, including the saved person. But this will serve a greater purpose. The book of Lamentations describes the suffering of Israel due to their rejection of what is good.
 
Although the people who experienced those sufferings were experiencing evil, meaning a lack of goodness, they were also experiencing good from God through chastisement. They were being rightly disciplined, and yet they were being saved as a people through their discipline.
 
It is not appropriate to question God’s goodness when we don’t have all the facts at our disposal. In times of terrible troubles, we should remain people of faith and consider that His ways are higher than our own. We should submit to Him and honor Him, even when we feel the gifts we are receiving are inappropriate. For sure, they are not. They are the good things we need for our situation and to meet His glorious plan for His redeemed.
 
O God, troubles and trials have been experienced by Your faithful people all along. Job suffered greatly, and yet we can now read the record of his life and understand why those things happened. Give us the desire and ability to trust You, even through the difficulties and trials we may not understand. Amen.
 

Matthew 7:10

Wednesday, 5 February 2025
 
Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? Matthew 7:10
 
“And if fish he may ask, not serpent he will give him?” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus questioned His disciples, asking what man would give his son a stone when he had asked for bread. He now repeats the sentiment to emphasize His words, saying, “And if fish he may ask, not serpent he will give him?”
 
Both creatures are introduced into the New Testament. The first is the ichthus (or ichthys), fish. For several of the disciples, this would be a personal example because they were fishermen in the Sea of Galilee. The second is the ophis, snake. It is derived from optanomai, to appear or gaze. The connection is the idea of sharpness of vision.
 
The snake is used not only to describe the creature but also sly or cunning people, such as in Matthew 23:33, and of the devil (Satan) as in 2 Corinthians 11:3 and elsewhere.
 
The thought Jesus presents is similar to the first because, depending on the fish, it can somewhat resemble a snake. It would be a close but mocking response to the request. Further, a snake is unclean according to the Mosaic law. Therefore, if this is all he had to eat, it would cause the son to purposefully violate the dietary prescriptions found in Leviticus 11:42 –
 
“Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination.”
 
Life application: The word translated as fish, ichthus (ichthys), eventually became the symbol of Christianity. Today, the “Jesus fish” is seen on the back of cars and other conspicuous places as displayed by Christians.
 
The fish had a prominent role in Jesus’ ministry because He had called some of His disciples out of their boats as they fished, asking them to follow Him. He used fish in the multiplication of food when feeding the five thousand and then the four thousand. In fact, the two things Jesus uses in His example in Matthew 7, loaves of bread and fish, are the two things He used in the feeding of these masses.
 
Jesus also used the fish to teach Peter a lesson concerning who He is in Matthew 17:27. His miracles, where an abundance of fish was gathered in the nets of the disciples, are taken as a metaphor for the abundance of souls that would be saved through Him. It is because of these things that the fish took on the symbol of Christianity.
 
But along with that, the word ichthys, was turned into an acrostic to refer to Jesus –
 
Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ (Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr), which translates into English as “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour.”
 
Hence, this is the reason why there are often Greek letters inside of the ichthus fish on the back of cars and elsewhere.
 
Unfortunately, variations of the Jesus Fish, such as the Darwin Fish, have arisen in modern times to mock Christianity. Despite this, displaying the Jesus Fish is something we can do to let the world know that we are Christians.
 
Lastly, the Roman Catholic tradition of not eating meat (Catholics 14 and older) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, as well as Fridays during lent, and other Fridays, and instead eating only fish, is nonsense. It is unscriptural and has nothing to do with faith in Jesus Christ –
 
“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.” Romans 14:5, 6
 
We are so grateful to You, O God, for the freedom we have in Jesus. We are not bound to the Law of Moses, and we are not subject to the inane doctrines of aberrant sects and denominations that refuse to accept the grace and freedoms revealed in Your word. Thank You that through Christ Jesus we can live for You and worship You in spirit and truth. Amen.

Matthew 7:9

Tuesday, 4 February 2025
 
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Matthew 7:9
 
“Or what man, he is, from you, whom his son if he may ask him bread, not stone he will give him?” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus noted that those who ask, seek, and find will get what they have pursued. Now, He continues with, “Or what man, he is, from you.”
 
Jesus begins a question, but He does so by addressing a single person out of the whole. People generally like to be considered a part of a group, and so to single out one from the group is to highlight them as exceptional, either in a positive or negative way.
 
The words beg for the audience to listen carefully because if one is being identified in a positive way, he will get satisfaction from being separated from the others. If in a negative way, he will shy away from drawing such attention to himself and being separated from others as offensive.
 
As such, the words call for heeding the rest of the question to know how to respond. Next, Jesus says, “whom his son if he may ask him bread.”
 
It is the most common of events between the closest of family. The father/son relationship is normally one which is based on love, respect, trust, etc. The response of the father to a request for bread is almost universally expected to be a positive one.
 
Unless there was a famine or some other reason that the request could not be favorably responded to, the answer to the request would be to grant it without hesitation. However, now comes the reason why the single is highlighted from the whole with the words, “not stone he will give him?”
 
The word mé, not, is used here as an interrogative. The question is essentially, “What man is there among you who would do this?” At this point, anyone listening would immediately shake his head and deny he would do such a thing, knowing that his inclusion in the group would suddenly be in jeopardy.
 
Bread comes from the ground as grain. It is then formed into bread and used for eating. However, it generally has the appearance of a stone which also comes from the ground. If it is flatbread, there are lots of flat stones in the area. If it is round bread, there would be lots of those too. If it was a slice of bread, there would even be stones that look like that.
 
But stones can’t be eaten. Instead of filling the stomach, they will break the teeth. The act would be rude, heartless, and deceitful and the son would henceforth lack trust in his father.
 
Even without going further, the words are already indicating where Jesus is going with the question. He has spoken about asking, seeking, and knocking. With the father/son concept introduced, He is preparing His hearers to understand the nature of God who created humans in His image.
 
Life application: God has said in His word that the creation took place in six days. If evolution is true, then it is as if God has given us a stone in place of bread. The word, though seemingly reliable in one area, cannot be trusted in another area. Therefore, the whole loses integrity.
 
And yet, with evolution being considered the answer by the scientific elite as to how creation has developed, the manner in which Jesus’ question has been formed could be applied to the Bible as well. The Bible presents Jesus as the Bread of life. And yet, the Bible has handed us a stone from our heavenly Father.
 
How can He be trusted any longer if He would laughingly deceive us in such a manner? In such an instance, either the scientific model is true, and we have misread the presentation of the bread presented in Scripture, or our evaluation of Scripture concerning a literal six-day creation is true, and the scientific model is faulty.
 
In such an instance, we must fall back on the words of verses 7 and 8. If God is God and the knowledge of what and how He has done things is attainable, then we need to ask, seek, and knock. And this is just what creation scientists have done.
 
In using this process, they have formed models of creation that align with Scripture and respond to evolutionists with brilliant insights that call the evolutionary model into question.
 
God formed man, not the other way around. If we can trust that our fathers will provide for our needs in a physical manner, we can trust that God will provide for our spiritual understanding. In the end, it may at first take a step of faith to accept creation, but it also can take a step of faith to bite into bread. However, the more in tune we are with the Giver, the more we can trust His gifts.
 
Glorious Lord God, help us to read the words of Scripture with understanding and the insight needed to form a bond of trust between us. If we have made wrong conclusions, open our minds to what is right. May our pursuit of You be proper and pleasing to You. Amen.

Matthew 7:8

Monday, 3 February 2025
 
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:8
 
“For all ‘the asking’ he receives, and ‘the seeking’ he finds, and ‘the knocking’ he will have opened” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus said, “You ask, and it will be given you. You seek, and you will find. You knock, and it will be opened to you.” Now, He explains why this should be done, beginning with, “For all ‘the asking’ he receives.”
 
The words of this verse, as with the words of the previous verse, must be taken as conditional and the context must be considered. It would be presumptuous to assume that God is going to just hand out everything that people ask for. It must be that the requests are in accord with His word, His nature, and His will.
 
However, the one asking is assured that God will give what is asked for if it meets these and any other necessary requirements. Jesus next says, “and ‘the seeking’ he finds.”
 
The person has prayed for the discernment and wisdom necessary to be in accord with God’s will, from there, he seeks out what he is looking for. After that Jesus says, “and ‘the knocking’ he will have opened.”
 
The process is complete in this. The first step, that of acknowledging through prayer that God’s hand in a matter is needed. The second step is to acknowledge that with God’s hand, we will put in our effort to seek out what is necessary for the goal to be accomplished. The third step is to have opened (as implied by knocking for access) to us what has been set forth and then searched out.
 
Life application: Jesus’ words cannot be taken as a carte blanche approval by God of getting everything one wants. As noted above, requests must be in accord with His word, His nature, and His will.
 
If a man were to request God to allow him to find a husband, that would not be in accord with any of the three. If he were to ask for a wife, that would be acceptable according to the first two, but maybe not in accord with His will for that person.
 
If someone were to ask for a particular wife, it would be illogical to assume he would be given her if another person asked to marry the same woman and God had already set the plans for that in motion.
 
As can be seen from just these few basic examples, what Jesus says in these verses is not what they appear to say on the surface. And yet, it is not uncommon for people to use what Jesus says almost as a talisman for good fortune at every turn.
 
The problem with holding such a position, or someone teaching such things, is that dissatisfaction will inevitably set in and a feeling that the word cannot be trusted will also arise. And this results because people are not willing to think through what is said, much less check the greater context of whatever is being conveyed.
 
Jesus is speaking of spiritual matters and issues that involve interactions between others and between people and God. To go beyond that is to expect something that is not what is being referred to. Be sure to remember the context before you form a pretext.
 
Lord God, thank You that we can come to You and lay our petitions before You. We know that You hear and respond to prayer when it is in accord with Your word. Therefore, may our prayers reflect Your will so that they will not be hindered when we bring them before You. Amen.

Matthew 7:7

Sunday, 2 February 2025
 
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
 
“You ask, and it will be given you. You seek, and you will find. You knock, and it will be opened to you” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus said that what is holy is not to be given to dogs and pearls are not to be cast before swine. In doing so, He spoke of the negative consequences that would result. Now, He continues His teaching, seemingly transitioning to a new thought.
 
If these words are logically connected to the previous thought, it must be in relation to discernment. Jesus spoke about not judging, but that didn’t mean not judging at all. Rather, it is to be based on the attitude in which one judges. This is obvious because He then told them how and when to make judgments.
 
As this is a difficult and sensitive matter, His words now – unless a completely new thought, which seems unlikely – are given in the sense of asking for the wisdom and discernment necessary to judge appropriately. This certainly seems likely based on what He will say in verse 12. Notice the similarity between verses 7:2 and 7:12 –
 
7:2 “For in what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and in what measure you measure, it will be remeasured to you.”
 
7:12 “Therefore, all as what you may determine that men, they should do to you, thus also you, you do to them. For this, it is, the Law and the Prophets.”
 
Because of this similarity, Jesus appears to be using verses 7 to 11 to answer the question of how they can apply His teaching according to the law. In fact, it may be that one of the disciples asked Him and this is Jesus’ answer to the unrecorded question. Understanding this, Jesus begins this thought with, “You ask, and it will be given you.”
 
Assuming this is asking about wisdom and discernment in how to handle such things, which seems likely, we can see how James took Jesus’ words and expressed them in his own epistle –
 
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
 
It is certain that Jesus’ words are not a blanket statement of getting what you ask for under any circumstances and for any desire. Therefore, wisdom and discernment are the most likely things He is basing His words upon. Next, He says, “You seek, and you will find.”
 
This elevates the force from prayer to personal action. One asks for wisdom, but there has to be a synergistic working on the part of the individual. God is not going to inject wisdom directly into one’s head while he lays on his pillow.
 
Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. It does not end there. Once a person prays for it, demonstrating his fear of the Lord, he is to then read the word, heed instruction on the word, contemplate what it means to apply Jesus’ words, etc. Such things are a personal act of seeking. From there, Jesus next says, “You knock, and it will be opened to you.”
 
The word krouó, to knock, is introduced here. Knocking implies a request for permission to enter. Again, the force of the action is elevated. The disciple prays, he seeks, and then he knocks at the place he has found. Notice that it doesn’t say he opens the door by himself. When the knock is made, the door will be opened.
 
One may come to a faulty conclusion in his seeking. And so, in order to ensure his search for understanding has been properly conducted, he is to then knock. In essence, “Lord, if this is how you are leading, and if my search has been correct, open this door. If not, keep me from error by keeping me from pursuing this incorrect path.”
 
There is an implied approval of the searching, however, in Jesus’ words. In other words, the person prayed and then searched. Jesus says that when the knock is made, the door will be opened. Therefore, it must be that He is speaking of a proper search to begin with. Someone intentionally knocking on the wrong door would make no sense.
 
Therefore, Jesus’ words do assume that a proper search prior to the knock has been made for the door to actually be opened. This shows that the path to obtaining wisdom in how to deal with others and how to make right judgments is something that has to be conducted through a proper search. This is what Scripture is intended to do.
 
Life application: As noted above, one cannot use the contents of this verse as a standalone set of words to indicate that whatever we ask for will be given to us. Unfortunately, this is how many in the church treat them. This is especially so in charismatic churches where people claim prosperity, health, abundance, etc. as if they have a right to those things based on what Jesus says here.
 
Jesus is speaking to His disciples. He is doing so under the law. They are of the nation of Israel. The passage, though containing spiritual truths that may extend beyond Israel, must be evaluated in the proper context. Verse 12, cited above, clearly shows this. Only Israel was given the Law and the Prophets.
 
Gentiles who come to Christ come to Him after His having fulfilled the law. Therefore, it cannot be that Jesus is telling the church to claim things and they will be parceled out based on their claims. Further, the context isn’t just Israel under the law, but seeking out how to treat others, judge appropriately, etc.
 
Keep things in their intended context. In so doing, your doctrine will be sound, and your walk with the Lord will be agreeable.
 
Lord God, may we be careful to evaluate Your word in the manner that is intended based on the context. Help us to consider the context and then evaluate what we are reading based on that. Give us wisdom in Your word and then the diligent desire to search it out. Yes, Lord, may it be so to Your glory. Amen.

Matthew 7:6

Saturday, 1 February 2025
 
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Matthew 7:6
 
“You give not the holy to the dogs, nor you shall cast your pearls before the pigs, lest they ever will tread them in their feet and, having turned, they shall dissever you” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus told His disciples that one should first remove the plank from their eyes. In so doing, they can see clearly to remove the speck from the eye of their brother. Jesus next instructs them that they are to, in fact, render judgments. He does that beginning with the words, “You give not the holy to the dogs.”
 
How can one know what is holy unless he has determined it is so? And how can one identify a dog, meaning an impure or contemptuous person, unless he has made a judgment about his character? As for the dog, it is the Greek word kuón.
 
To this day, many cultures in the Middle East despise dogs. They scavenge, eat unclean food, they are predators that feed off of others, and so forth. HELPS Word Studies says in biblical times they were “viewed as a ‘mooch pooch’ that ran about as a scavenger.”
 
In both the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 23:18) and the New (Revelation 22:15), male homosexuals are equated to dogs because of the position they take when engaging in their abhorrent, perverse, and deviant sexual practices.
 
Despite this, one of the most trustworthy and steadfast figures in the Old Testament, Caleb, is named after the Hebrew word kelev, dog. In typology, he anticipates the Gentiles as being steadfast, trustworthy, and accepted by God despite their impurity before the law. Next Jesus instructs His disciples concerning more discerning judgments to be rendered, saying, “nor you shall cast your pearls before the pigs.”
 
As before, how can one identify a pig, meaning an unclean and morally offensive person, unless he renders a judgment concerning such a person? One can see that in Matthew 7:1, Jesus is not making an absolute prohibition on judging. Rather, it is the attitude in which one judges. Only after instructing His disciples concerning removing the beam from their eyes does He now instruct them concerning making right judgments.
 
As for the word translated as pearl, it is margarités. One can see the etymological root of several women’s names, such as Margaret, Margarite, Margarita, etc. The pearl is given as representative of that which is precious and valuable. In this case, Jesus is metaphorically equating them to precious doctrines.
 
The word translated as swine is choiros. The swine is one of the animals that was considered unclean according to the dietary restrictions found in the Law of Moses. (Thank goodness the dietary restrictions of Israel are not binding upon the church today!)
 
The Hebrew word for pig, khazir, comes from a root signifying “to enclose” as if penned up. Pigs divide the hoof, but they do not chew the cud. They represent those who know the word and divide it properly (the split hoof), but they do not meditate on it and dwell on it (chewing the cud).
 
The pig thus represents the scholarly types who pour over ancient manuscripts, the professors who teem with sound doctrine, the preachers in the pulpit who give the finest of sermons, etc., but at the same time, they are often unwilling to apply that knowledge to themselves. They are penned up in their minds concerning doctrine without having a love for the One who gave the doctrine in the first place.
 
As for why the disciples are instructed not to do these things, Jesus continues with, “lest they ever will tread them in their feet and, having turned, they shall dissever you.”
 
Imagine giving something holy to someone who is perverse. He will laugh at it, mock it, and treat it contemptuously. If one were to give something of great value to a perverse or arrogant person, he would take it and ruin it. In the process, he will also turn around and eviscerate the one who gave it in the first place.
 
In this clause is another new word, rhégnumi. It gives the sense of breaking, wrecking, cracking, etc. However, along with that is the sense of sundering it. Therefore, the word dissever fits it well. One can think of a dog’s teeth or the pig’s fang being used to slice and dice its foe. This is the sense of how someone who fails to discern the dog or the pig will be treated. He will have wasted his efforts and been eviscerated in the process.
 
Life application: In general, people are set and unchanging in their ways. If you give something of true value to someone who lives in the projects, a rosewood table for example, they will not treat it any differently than a cheap plastic table. Both will wind up in the dumpster in no time at all.
 
If you give the same person $100 in the morning, the chances are it will be spent by the afternoon on something completely worthless, maybe drugs or something else that has no lasting value.
 
On the other hand, if you give that same $100 to a Chinese immigrant who is fresh off the boat and looking to start again in your country, the chances are that he will take that $100 and turn it into a business. In a year, his business will be thriving and he will have a house, a car, and extra money in the bank.
 
Jesus’ point is that we must make judgments about the precious things we possess. To hand out money to indolent people who have spent their lives on the government dole is to waste the resources we have at our disposal.
 
It is not cruel, biased, racist, or bigoted to withhold helping those who are unwilling to help themselves. Rather, it is harmful and wasteful to give them something they are unprepared to properly handle. We must judge, but we are to do it without the beam in our eye. If we have a beam of woke ideology in our eye, we will never discern what is right concerning people who are actually bad actors.
 
This is exactly why crime is so high in liberal-run cities. The leadership, attorneys, judges, and government workers ignore the fact that they are serving dogs and pigs and continue to cater to those who should be incarcerated or otherwise punished. They should promote industry and self-help, not indolence and lethargy in those they are elected or appointed to assist. This is the lesson we are to learn from Jesus’ words.
 
“For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
 
Glorious God, when we render judgments, may we do so in accord with the moral principles set forth in Your word. Help us to be good to others, but to be discerning in how we ultimately help them so that our resources and time will not have been wasted. Amen.
 

Matthew 7:5

Friday, 31 January 2025
 
Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:5
 
“Hypocrite! First, you eject the beam from your eye, and then you will thoroughly see to eject the splinter from your brother’s eye” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus spoke about someone saying he wanted to remove the chip from another’s eye while he had a beam in his own eye. Now, He continues that thought, saying, “Hypocrite! First, you eject the beam from your eye.”
 
The person is identified as a hypocrite because he is attempting to eject a moral defect from someone else while having his own, much greater, moral defect left unresolved. This is one of the tactics of those on the political left.
 
They identify some supposed fault in those they oppose but they are filled with fifty times the moral corruption than the insignificant point they have called out in their opponents. They make a mountain out of a molehill while sitting on their own heights of hypocrisy. Understanding this, Jesus continues with, “and then you will thoroughly see to eject the splinter from your brother’s eye.”
 
Jesus introduces the word diablepó. It is derived from dia, through, and blepó, to see. The prefix dia intensifies the thought of seeing. Thus, it is when one can see thoroughly. The meaning is that when a person has a moral defect, even if he sees a defect in others, he cannot clearly identify and root out another’s moral defect.
 
However, once he has cleaned up what is defective in himself, he will be able to more thoroughly review what is wrong in another. With this clarity of vision, he can then help the person remove what is defective in his own life.
 
Life application: The city of Chicago has gone from worse to worse in its selection of mayors. In fact, with the selection of a mayor, it seems that whoever is elected turns out to be so bad that there is no possible way the next person can be anything but a step up. Amazingly, however, once elected, it is seen that the new mayor is, in fact, worse than the one before.
 
How can this be when the people are so fed up with their mayor that they eject him or her from office, but then choose someone worse? The answer is that they are so morally corrupt themselves that they cannot see clearly to choose anything other than another liar whose promises woo them into believing they will be showered with abundance if they only elect him.
 
The problem is with those who choose the candidate. The candidate is simply taking advantage of the selfish greed of the people. Until the people themselves are willing to clear out the defect in their mode of selection, they will continue to go from one bad choice to another.
 
This is true at any level of politics. It is true in the selection of pastors for churches. It is true in a variety of ways in life. Critical thinking is not taught in schools. People are also unwilling to stop and evaluate the root of their problems, and so bad decisions continue to flow in their lives.
 
The only way to truly stem the tide of moral degradation in one’s life is to have a standard that is beyond oneself as a guide for right living. This is true with societies as well. However, for the person or society to be truly godly, that standard must be God.
 
There are many teachings that claim God as their source, but God is not fickle. He will not present Himself in one way to one group and in another way to others. Rather, He has presented Himself in one historically long and yet readily discernible way, which is through the pages of Scripture.
 
His presenting the law to Israel and then grace at the coming of Jesus are not two different presentations of Himself. Rather, it is one continuous instructional tool, each dispensation building on the others so that we can fully understand and appreciate His full plan of redemption.
 
Therefore, if a person or society wants to clear out immoral baggage, following the Bible is the only true way to do so. The further a society moves from the teachings of Scripture, the more morally corrupt it will be. The types of corruption may be different, but they will all be a presentation of morality that is incapable of true and lasting reformation.
 
God has given us the standard by which we can thoroughly see where our defects lie. It is up to us to accept or reject that truth. May we make the right decision and look to Jesus, the ultimate Standard of God’s proper moral way, as our guide. In doing so, things will go well for us.
 
Lord God, man is capable of great achievements and productivity, both individually and in societies. But without following Your guiding hand as it is presented in Scripture, there will always be defects in how we do things. Perfection will never come through our efforts. But through Jesus, we know that perfection lies ahead for Your people. Thank You, O God, for Jesus who promises us Your perfection. Amen.
 

Matthew 7:4

Thursday, 30 January 2025
 
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Matthew 7:4
 
“Or how you will say to your brother, ‘You permit – I may eject the chip from your eye,’ and behold, the beam in your eye” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus asked why someone would see a chip in another’s eye but not examine the beam in his own eye. He now continues that line of thought, saying, “Or how you will say to your brother, ‘You permit – I may eject the chip from your eye.’”
 
The person Jesus is speaking of is annoyed at the teeny perceived imperfection in someone else’s eye. It is as if it is too much of an annoyance to allow it to continue without being highlighted and removed.
 
But more, he doesn’t say to the other fellow, “You should work on getting that chip out of your eye.” Instead, he deems it appropriate that he himself will be the one to eject it from his eye. He assumes that he is qualified to mess with such things.
 
In Jesus’ words, He uses a new word, ekballo. It is derived from ek (from, out of, etc.) and ballo, (to throw, cast, etc.). It is the same word used later when referring to casting out demons. It is used in the sense of ejecting something.
 
In this case, he wants to get his hands on the other guy’s eyeball and squeeze it until the chip comes free. Despite this, Jesus repeats the same thought as the previous verse, noting that his own troubles are far greater, saying, “and behold, the beam in your eye.”
 
While standing there noting that he can take care of the little chip in another’s eye, he is unwilling to acknowledge the 2x4 sticking out of his own eye. It is the height of hypocrisy because Jesus is actually referring to a moral defect in the person, using the chip and the beam as metaphors for spiritual truths.
 
People find it very easy to highlight teeny weeny little faults in others, even while they have immense moral defects of their own.
 
Life application: The words here are given as support for the initial words of Chapter 7, “Not you judge.” Jesus is not telling His disciples to never make judgments. In fact, in the next verse, He will actually tell them it is ok to do exactly that. He will then do so again in the verse following that.
 
However, there is an appropriate way to do so and there are inappropriate ways of doing so. For someone to walk around judging when they are committing their own moral transgressions is not a sound way of conducting one’s life.
 
And the fact is that everyone commits some sort of transgression at one point or another. Therefore, to arbitrarily judge others without clearing up one’s own personal failings is a hypocritical way of conducting one’s affairs.
 
Jesus is speaking to His disciples and to Israel in general in these verses, but many of the truths He conveys to them extend beyond the law to people in any culture or time. They are moral precepts that should be considered so that we don’t find ourselves on the receiving end of judgment.
 
Such is the normal way things will turn out when we go pointing fingers at others while we ourselves are not living in a manner that is appropriate.
 
Lord God, give us wisdom to apply the moral precepts of Your word to our lives. The book of Proverbs is a great place to learn basic truths about such things. May we read it along with the rest of Scripture to continually refine our thinking and remind ourselves of those things You find acceptable or unacceptable. Amen.
 

Matthew 7:3

Wednesday, 29 January 2025
 
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3
 
“And why you see the chip, the ‘in the eye’ of your brother, and in your eye, a beam not you examine?” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus referred to the standard that is being used by a person in judgment will be returned to him in his own judgment, and the measure one uses will be measured back to that person. He now continues with, “And why you see the chip, the ‘in the eye’ of your brother.”
 
Here, He uses the word karphos, a chip. HELPS Word Studies defines it as “something dry and light; a ‘chip or splinter, of the same material with the beam.’” It is derived from karphó, to dry or wither up. It is a dried piece of wood that has separated from a larger piece.
 
One can think of the pile of wood left behind as a chainsaw cuts. They are teeny weeny little chips that dry almost immediately as they fly out behind the saw. Someone using a chainsaw might get hundreds of them in their eye during a regular workday. Anyone working around the sawman is bound to get them in their own eyes as well.
 
Jesus uses such a little thing as an example. Someone might see another person with an itty-bitty chip in his eye and say, “Hey, you have something in your eye.” At the same time, however, Jesus says, “and in your eye, a beam not you examine?”
 
Jesus uses the word dokos, HELPS Word Studies defines this as, “a large beam (joist) of wood; ‘a beam of timber’ (Abbott-Smith); ‘a log on which planks in the house rest (as in the papyri); joist, rafter, plank (Moffatt); a pole sticking out grotesquely.’”
 
As for the word translated as “examine,” it is katanoeó. Again, HELPS Word Studies provides clarity to its intended meaning, saying, “‘properly, to think from up to down, to a conclusion; to consider exactly, attentively (decisively); to concentrate by fixing one’s thinking’ ‘to perceive clearly’ (kata, intensive), ‘to understand fully, consider closely.’”
 
One can see that the word “examine,” suits the intent well. The guy is standing there with a plank the size of Montana hanging out of his eye while being upset about a bit of sawdust in the other guy’s eye.
 
The intended meaning from Jesus is that the person is out judging others without examining himself. He has a major fault in his life such as being addicted to pornography, and yet, he rebukes someone else who notices a beautiful lady walking down the street. He is a total hypocrite.
 
Life application: People often take things to unintended extremes in relation to the Bible. They may read a passage in the Bible about drinking wine that is negative in its portrayal of the subject matter, such as Proverbs 23:29-35. In reading that, and tearing the intent of the passage out of its proper context, he decides that any drinking of alcohol is wrong and condemns anyone who has a glass of wine.
 
But the Bible never teaches such a thing. In fact, the exact opposite can be easily discerned from a short study of the subject. Likewise, a person may have been saved from a life of alcohol addiction. When he is freed from it, he immediately goes about condemning everyone who has no problem with drinking.
 
Someone may have had a problem with pornography. In being cured of it, he decides all women should walk around with baggy plain dresses and wear bonnets. The next thing you know, an entire denomination is walking around doing just that.
 
But the Bible never speaks of such things. In fact, the beauty of women is particularly noted several times in Scripture, such as with Rebekah, Rachel, etc. An entire book, The Song of Solomon, addresses the beauty of a woman numerous times. Just because one person has a stumbling block in his life, it is inappropriate that he forces his new mores upon everyone else.
 
Be sure that when you hear a sermon or study on such an issue, you check to see if what the instruction taught is correct or not. Otherwise, you may be placing yourself under a bondage that the Bible never imposes on God’s people. Be wise, be discerning, and check what you hear. It is your walk with the Lord. Don’t be intimidated into something that is unbiblical.
 
Lord God, we are so thankful to You for Your word that guides us as we walk through this world. May we direct our feet according to what it says. When we hear something that is given to instruct us in Your word, may we be responsible enough to check out what we hear before we run with it. Help us in this, O God. Amen.
 

Matthew 7:2

Tuesday, 28 January 2025
For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Matthew 7:2
“For in what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and in what measure you measure, it will be remeasured to you” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus said to not judge that not you may be judged. Now to continue explaining that, He says, “For in what judgment you judge, you will be judged.”
 
In other words, and what should be evident from Matthew 7:1 alone because of how Jesus’ words fit into the rest of Scripture is that when one judges in a certain manner, that same judgment can be expected to be returned to him. If you pass by people and judge them based on their clothing, it can be expected that the same judgment will be returned to you.
 
The person who calls the police about people speeding by his house is bound to get ticketed by the police he called for his own driving too fast to get home. He may have only been going 47 in a 40 zone while the people he complained about were going 65, but he is now subject to the same judgment that he expected toward others. If he didn’t call the cops to patrol his road, he never would have received the ticket.
 
The nagging woman down the road who calls code enforcement over every minor issue will, eventually, have someone call code enforcement on her for her own issues. Examples such as these are the types of things Jesus is referring to.
 
He was not saying to not make any judgments, period. He is making a point concerning what can be expected by those who go around pointing fingers at others from some supposed position of moral authority that really doesn’t exist except in their own minds. He reconfirms this with another similar example, saying, “and in what measure you measure, it will be remeasured to you.”
 
The word metron, a measure, is introduced. HELPS Word Studies says it “is the controlling basis by which something is determined as acceptable or unacceptable – preeminently rooting to the Lord Himself as His being is the only ultimate measure of truth.”
 
When making up one’s own measure instead of using an accepted standard, an equal measure can be expected to return upon the one who has initiated the standard.
 
This repetition of thought while using a different subject confirms the entire analysis. Jesus is not saying to not judge, period. He is saying that when you do judge in a particular manner, a like judgment is expected to come back to you. Albert Barnes says, “You shall be judged by the same rule which you apply to others.”
 
A basic example of this measure rule is seen when a person walks down the street and arbitrarily punches someone else in the head. He has set an arbitrary standard of acceptability which stems from his own demented mind.
 
There are times when the person who is hit will go down for the count. However, some people can take a punch like that and return the same, bringing a measure of pain in return.
 
If the first person minded his own business and left others alone, he would have been fine. But in measuring out punches during his afternoon walk, he may suddenly be forced to have liquid lunches for the rest of his life.
 
This type of measurement is exactingly seen in the Lex Talionis provision found in the Law of Moses –
 
“If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him— 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him. 21 And whoever kills an animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 24:19-22
 
Life application: Matthew 7 began with, “Not you judge.” As a stand-alone thought, one can easily conclude that based on Jesus’ words, Christians are not to make any judgments at all. And this is exactly how those words are used innumerable times a day by others in an attempt to impose their own perverted sense of morality on others.
 
But those opening words fit into a context that explains just what Jesus meant. To take what He said out of context is to form a pretext. That is now clearly evident after analyzing the rest of Matthew 7:1 along with Matthew 7:2.
 
Understanding this, doesn’t it seem reasonable that when you are told by someone that you must observe the Law of Moses you should check the context to make sure that what you are told actually fits into the rest of Scripture?
 
Many verses concerning the law are pulled out of their greater context and are then used in just this way, forming a pretext with the intent of bringing you into bondage to their perverted ideas of doctrine and theology.
 
Of all of the concepts found in Paul’s epistles, this is the one that he deals with the most. His words, along with a proper contextual analysis of the rest of Scripture, show that the law is fulfilled and annulled through the work of Jesus. Christians are to accept this, live by grace, and not place themselves under a yoke that they were never intended to carry.
 
Be on guard! Check the context! Live by God’s glorious grace! Come to Jesus and be free from the law.
 
“And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:3, 4
 
Lord God, Your word is big and filled with many concepts and precepts, but everything it says must be considered based on the surrounding and the overall context. Help us to consider these things and to not be led astray by people with perverse agendas. May we live by grace in Your presence all our days. Amen.
 

Matthew 7:1

Monday, 27 January 2025
 
“Judge not, that you be not judged. Matthew 7:1
 
“Not you judge, that not you may be judged” (CG).
 
The previous verse closed out Chapter 6. Now, Chapter 7 opens with one of the top misused verses of all time. Jesus says, “Not you judge.”
 
Those words alone are what are torn out of their context, shoved in the faces of others, and used as a pretext to claim nobody has the right to ever make a moral decision or render a judgment concerning pretty much any matter someone else doesn’t want to be judged over.
 
The Greek word is krinó. Essentially, it means to distinguish. From that, its meaning is based on the context of what is being said, such as to decide (whether mentally or judicially), to try, condemn, punish, decree, judge, sue, call into question, etc.
 
Taking these words out of context and applying them as people do essentially means that no person could ever make a decision on anything, ever. However, throughout Scripture judgments are both expected to be made and are openly promoted as necessary. In fact, in verse 7:6, Jesus will instruct His disciples to make necessary judgments.
 
This continues throughout the gospels, Acts, and the epistles. So what is Jesus saying? The verse continues with, “that not you may be judged.”
 
Jesus is not actually saying, “Not you judge” period. There is a second half to His words and a greater context in which they are spoken. He says, “Not you judge, that not you may be judged.”
 
There is a standard that is being conveyed to His disciples. It is a standard that is further explained in His coming words. For now, it is evident that He is telling them that when they judge, judgment will return to them. It almost mirrors Newton’s Third Law of Motion, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
 
When certain things happen in the moral world of judgment, certain other things of a like kind are to be expected. The more judgmental someone is, therefore, the more judgment he will bring on himself. A good word for a person with such an attitude is censoriousness.
 
The more censorious someone is, the more censored he can expect to be.
 
Life application: One of the most nauseating things on the planet is when people post the first words of Matthew 7:1 on social media or cite them in some forum or another. Doing this is an immediate attempt to shut others down about some particular issue or another.
 
More often than not, it is directed toward Christians by non-Christians. The very people who don’t even believe in the Lord, use His words against those who do, but who are unprepared for responding to such citations.
 
And far too often, Christians then cave in their stand against moral perversion and even outright wickedness. They are unwilling to learn what the Bible is saying, especially in its proper context. If a person is not a part of the solution, he is a part of the problem.
 
In the case of citing Matthew 7:1, it is a huge problem. Be prepared to respond to people whose agenda is to restrict, silence, or eliminate the moral standards expected of Christians.
 
Lord God, help us to make right judgments as we live in Your presence. When we judge, we can expect return judgment, so help us to not make decisions or judgments unwisely. Above all, help us to rightly understand Your word in the proper context for the situations in which we find ourselves. Amen.
 

Matthew 6:34

Sunday, 26 January 2025
 
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34
 
“Therefore, not you shall be disquieted into the tomorrow, for tomorrow – it will be disquieted itself, its evil – sufficient to the day” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus instructed His disciples to seek the kingdom of God first. In doing this all the other things will then be added. Having told them that, He now finishes Chapter 6, saying, “Therefore, not you shall be disquieted into the tomorrow.”
 
The meaning of “into the tomorrow” is as most translations render it, “about tomorrow.” The Lord instructs the disciples to not let what is ahead in time and completely out of one’s grasp get the best of them.
 
It is contradictory to calm to reach into the next day and start agonizing over what may transpire. The only thing that will do is rile up any chance of mental calm on a day that has nothing to do with the next except that it happens to be the one before the next occurs. Understanding this, He next says, “for tomorrow – it will be disquieted itself.”
 
Like any other day that comes to pass, there are to be expected complications, difficulties, sadness, moments of confusion and loss, etc. For those who invest, there may be a morning of 25% profit in the portfolio, but by midday, there may be a 90% loss. Driving to or from work may find a nail in the tire, maybe even one in both directions.
 
The list is absolutely endless as to what might go wrong on any given day. This is why Jesus finishes with, “its evil – sufficient to the day.”
 
The word kakia is found only here in the gospels. It is in Acts and the epistles though. It is a strong word signifying evil which includes wickedness, depravity, malignity, etc. It is badness in general. HELPS Word Studies defines it as “the underlying principle of evil (inherent evil) which is present, even if not outwardly expressed.”
 
It is this that Jesus notes is arketos, sufficient, to the day. It is also a new word indicating being enough. Each day can be expected to have enough evil to fill it that inserting the problems of a day ahead will only lead to a day overflowing with disquietness and anxiety.
 
And yet, how often do we do our best to insert that which is unknown into the problems we are already facing? Jesus instructs His disciples not to do this. As these words form a general precept, apart from the law itself, they contain truth that we can apply to our own lives in this dispensation. And more, we have the continued words of the Lord through Paul to guide our daily walk –
 
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6 7
 
Life application: Jesus divides the acceptable period of taking on life’s challenges into days. This is for obvious reasons. Our lives are divided up into these most basic units based on how God has structured the rotation of the sun. Paul’s words, on the other hand, bring things down to a case-by-case situation.
 
There is no contradiction in this. Nor would we be wrong to say the same thing about something that will occur later in the afternoon or even something coming in an hour. We have no control over what lies ahead. Planning is something we need to do, but it is something that must consider that things may not work out.
 
The best thing to do is to allow the future to unfold as it will without the added stress of worrying about how it will do so. We make plans, but the events that follow must be left to the overarching providence of God.
 
Tractors tires get stuck, shipments of supplies are delayed, rains come, and the house sits idle waiting to be completed. We could not have prevented any of those things. So why be distressed over what may or may not happen? Live with the future planned to whatever degree is necessary, but do so knowing that the Lord may have other plans.
 
No matter what, He is in control. Our future in His presence is assured because of Jesus. We just have to get through this unknown earthly walk as best as we can in the process, trusting Him with each step as we go.
 
Lord God, help us to confidently walk in this world, knowing that no matter what happens, we are Yours. Whatever trials we may face, they will be behind us someday. Even death itself cannot keep us from standing before You spotless and pure. Because of Jesus, we have full assurance of reconciliation and peace. Amen.