Christianity Is Not an Added Part of Judaism

Matthew 9:14-26


“Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.  No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.  Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:14-17)

After the time of Alexander the Great, the Jews had made a great deal fasting and prayer as their primary forms of worship to persuade God to act on their behalf, ignoring God’s instructions about fasting in Isaiah 58:3-7.

 “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?

Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.  Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?” (Isaiah 58:3-7)

They were used to fasting to try to force God to do what they wanted, almost like a hunger strike.  They made a big show of being sad, of walking around with their head bowed and wearing sackcloth and smearing ashes on their flesh.  God was not interested in such ritual fasting, but in a change in their behavior, to quit taking advantage of others and stop their own sin, caring for those who were worse off in an effort to get closer to God.

Jesus pointed out two reasons why his disciples did not fast like they did.  Firstly, they were closely involved with the Lord himself, and had no need to separate themselves to get closer since they were already physically with him.

Secondly, Christianity was not just added on to the Jewish customs.  Under John’s ministry, the people just added baptism as a sign or repentance to the old Jewish practices, in effect sewing a new patch on an old garment or putting new wine into an old wineskin.  As Jesus warned, trying to just add it on to the old Jewish religion ends up with the loss of the physical benefits of the law, and they loss of the spiritual benefits of being a Christian.  They neither fulfill the laws requirements, nor do they put their faith completely in Christ.  Paul addresses this issue quite thoroughly in Galatians 1:1-5:15.

“While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.  And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.” (Matthew 9:18-19

Mark describes the girl of being at the point of death, and of having actually died by the time Jesus arrived, in Mark 5:23 and 5:35. Luke 8:40-42 supports his statement.  Either way, she was dead by the time Jesus arrived.  Her father stated clearly that he knew Jesus was able to heal her even if she were already dead.

“And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” (Matthew 9:20-22)

While Jesus was on his way to help Jairus’ daughter, the woman with the issue of blood touched him.  She had tried for several years to find a doctor who could help her.  She came to Jesus, not expecting to even be able to get his attention in the crowd, but convinced that just a touch was all that was needed.  As Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record, Jesus said that her faith was what effected the cure.  The effort to touch him just demonstrated her faith.  It is precisely the point James made in James 2:14-26, that faith that doesn’t result in action is worthless, but as Ephesians 2:8-9 points out, it is the faith, not the action that saves.

“And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,  He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.  But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.  And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.” (Matthew 9:23-26)

By the time Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house, his daughter was definitely dead and they had started the ritual wailing and preparing for burial since it was the custom to bury the person the same day to control the stench of a rotting corpse.  When Jesus told them she was just asleep, they made fun of him because they were sure she was dead.  Like people today they didn’t understand that physical death is only a temporary thing until the judgment.
 

Mark and Luke tell us he took her by the hand and told her to get up, and she did, just as Lazarus did when Jesus spoke to him.  After all, God spoke and the world came into existence, and Jesus is God.  Not fully understanding this, the people were amazed.  It quickly became the main topic of discussion.

Challenging Accepted Ideas

Matthew 9:2-13

“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Matthew 9:2)

Jesus had returned across the Sea of Galilee then proceeded to Nazareth.  While he was there, surrounded by the multitude they brought a man sick of the palsy and because of the crowd had to let him down from the roof to get him close, as recorded in Mark 2 and Luke 5.  When he saw the demonstration of the faith of those who brought him, Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven.

“And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?  For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.  And he arose, and departed to his house.” (Matthew 9:3-7)

The people of Nazareth knew Jesus as the son of the carpenter, who they had known since he was a small child.  They had just accepted his miracles as something he did with little or no thought as to what they meant.  When Jesus said the man’s sins were forgiven, the religious leaders thought he had gotten carried away and gone too far. 

As Jesus pointed out, it would have been easier to just say arise and walk.  He had deliberately chosen his words to call their attention to the fact of his power and force them to consider who he really was.

“But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.” (Matthew 9:8)

The religious leaders wre so caught up in their own ideas of what God was like they didn’t realize the power to heal had to come from god, but the common people were far more alert to what had happened and glorified God that Jesus had been given such great healing power to a human being. 

“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9)

Matthew was working when the man with palsy was let down from the roof, but he heard the talk and was familiar with what Jesus had done other times.  When Jesus told him to follow him, he didn’t hesitate. Just walking away from his job as a tax collector. 

“And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” (Matthew 9:10-11)

It is always interesting to go to a political or religious meeting and see how everyone flocks to the most powerful and best known people there.  The big wigs are so busy talking to each other that ordinary people can’t get a chance to talk to them at all except to get a picture for the news.  Jesus invited people to eat with him that were considered unfit to even associate with; employees of  the hated Roman government, and people with bad reputations. 

The Pharisees questioned the disciples why Jesus would associate with such people instead of those who were more influential and genteel. 

“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:12-13)

When Jesus heard what eh Pharisees were saying, he pointed out that the people who would benefit from his attention were the people who had problems, rather than those who thought they had their lives under control.   While they didn’t realize or acknowledge it, the very Pharisees who were complaining were no better than the people they condemned.  They thought that the sacrifices they offered would make up for their hypocrisy and prejudice, but God would have preferred they showed a forgiving spirit.

Proverbs 21:2 says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” It is human nature to assume we are right, and the Jews were just guilty as other people.  They had modified their interpretation of the Law to make what they did seem acceptable, but God compared their intentions with the original intent of the law, and their ideas were not nearly as good as they assumed. 

Training The Disciples

Matthew 8:18-9:1

“Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.” (Matthew 8:18)

Jesus deliberately left the crowd behind. Taking a boat so they couldn’t follow him.  His primary purpose was to train a group of men to carry on his ministry, rather than to produce the largest following possible.  In order to accomplish that purpose, it was critical to have time away from the multitude and focus on teaching his disciples.

One of the most common mistakes people make is getting focused on the big picture and forgetting that it is composed of a bunch of little pictures.  If all the little pictures are right, the big one will also be, and the picture will look good at any distance, but if we focus solely on the big picture, a closer perspective reveals a lot of problems.

While the ultimate goal was to spread the gospel throughout the whole world. It would have to be done by reaching and training men to carry on the gospel when he was killed.  It was necessary to develop those men even if it took neglecting the multitude for a while.   Because he took the time to properly train his apostles, he had only about a hundred and twenty followers when he was killed, but within a few years they had filled the whole world.

“And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (Matthew 8:19-22)

Two of the disciples wished to follow Jesus, and He discouraged them both.  In Luke 14:26, Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”   

In order to develop qualified men to carry on the ministry it was first necessary to find men who were committed to it.  A man who was concerned about his own comfort and convenience was not committed.  Neither was a man who would delay his ministry to go settle his father’s estate.   Those who had no interest in the ministry could do the job just as well. 

They had to make a choice as to which mattered most.  As Jesus told them in Luke 9:62, “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  Total commitment is required to please God, whether to get saved, or to serve in ministry.  You can’t just try it to see if it works for you.

“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27)

The disciples had seen Jesus exercise power over demons and disease, but they didn’t fully understand he had power over all of nature as well.  He knew what was going to happen, and went to sleep, totally unconcerned.  The disciples were experienced sailors and they panicked when they saw how bad the storm was and woke up to see if he could do anything for them. 

He said their concern was the result of a lack of faith.  He then demonstrated how safe they were by stilling the storm completely just by telling the wind to stop.  It drove the message home in a powerful way, laying a basis for their faith to stand against persecution in years to come.  Clearly he was more than just an ordinary man.

 

“And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.  And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?   And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.  So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.” (Matthew 8:28-32)

Two demon possessed men met Jesus and his followers when they came ashore, and the demons knew who Jesus was.  They were sure he would not allow them to keep control of the men, and thus would lose their ability to control physical things.   They requested permission to go into a group of nearby pigs.  While pigs were limited in their physical abilities, they still had more ability to do things than disembodied demons.   Even a pigs body was better than none.

The pigs chose to commit suicide rather than live with the demons controlling their minds.  In a number of the police shooting in Albuquerque, the people seem to have been trying to kill themselves or to get the police to kill them in an effort to escape demonic control of their thoughts.

“And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.  And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.   And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.” (Matthew 8:33-9:1)

More concerned about the loss of their profits than about the two men, the people asked Jesus to leave and he did.  He had instructed the multitude not to waste holy things on dogs or give pearls to pigs in the Sermon on the Mount.  Now he demonstrated what he meant.  If they did not want to hear, he would not try to make them.   Later, in Matthew 10:14 he would command, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.”    

Matthew began to follow Jesus shortly after this and his knowledge came from those who had witnessed the event, while Mark and Luke got their information by interviewing other people who knew about it but may not have seen it.  As a result, many of the details in the accounts in Mark 5 and Luke 8 differ.  That all three record the same basic details even though they are from different sources indicates the story is true.

Casting Out Demons

Matthew 8:16-17

“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” (Matthew 8:16-17)

That evening, people brought their acquaintances who were demon possessed to be cured.  Because there is so much confusion about what this means, and controversy over how to deal with it, I have chosen to address this issue separately. 

Demon possession is commonly perceived, even among those who believe in it, as something similar to Hollywood’s portrayal, in which some powerful demon takes physical control of the body giving it horrible supernatural powers.  The reality is far different.

Most of what we know as severe mental health issues today are in fact what the bible refers to as demon possession.  Modern psychology and Psychiatry teaches that they are usually the result of some combination of hormonal imbalances, defective neural connections and improper learned behavior.  They attempt to modify the unacceptable behavior through the use of hormones to correct imbalances, medications or surgery to disrupt the improper neural connections and counselling to correct learned behavior.

People suffering from these conditions often do things that seem almost supernatural, sometimes seriously injuring themselves in the process.   Frequently the only things psychiatrists or psychologists can do are to keep the person so heavily sedated he is unable to cause problems or isolate in some institution him to protect him or others from his actions.  If they stop taking the medications or escape from confinement the patients may commit suicide or injure other people.

The biblical idea is that the problem starts with a satanic spirit causing a faulty way for thinking, a bad attitude if you will.  If the action produces a satisfactory result the person is likely to repeat it.  Research shows that repeated patterns of thought or action cause the development of new neural pathways to make the action or thought increasingly automatic.  When practiced often enough the response becomes so automatic the person no longer thinks about what they are doing or whether their response is justified.  If the behavior does not produce the expected results, they expand it until it gets results and the habitual behavior becomes increasing unacceptable.  Eventually the spirit gains control of the attitude through things such as anger, fear, or hatred, or cravings for drugs or alcohol.

Research also shows that a poor mental attitude causes an imbalance of the hormones in the brain.  The imbalance of hormones and poor neural pathway development result from and contribute to the unacceptable behavior but are not the primary cause.    Once a behavior becomes habitual, it can only be stopped when the person wants to change enough to deliberately prevent his mind following the usual neural channels, and begin forming new ones.  In the process, the mind will start bring the hormones back into balance.

By casting out the demonic spirit that started the bad attitude, Jesus could disrupt the pattern and give the person a chance to take control of his attitudes and behaviors.  Because it has no physical body, the satanic spirit cannot cause things to happen in the physical world except by getting control of something’s mind and using it to control the physical body.  They fight very hard to keep control. 

Because Psychology and Psychiatry do not acknowledge the existence satanic spirits, they have to try to change the person’s way of thinking while the evil spirit retains control.  It is difficult to do and often fails.

Besides casting out the devils, Jesus healed all the people who were brought to him.  He did not have to make excuses why some were not healed, unlike most faith healers today.  In doing so, he fulfilled one of Isaiah’s prophecies, again making it obvious to the Jews that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Returns To Capernaum

Matthew 8:1-15

“When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.  And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” (Matthew 8:1-4)

People had flocked to hear Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount from all over Israel and the surrounding areas.   Because they all traveled afoot, they could travel together and thousands went with Jesus.  It wasn’t like today, with everybody in separate vehicles.

On the way they met a man with leprosy, a medically incurable disease at the time.  The leper knew that Jesus had healed others and as he stated, Jesus was able to heal him if he chose to do so.  He recognized that while Jesus had the power, he was under no obligation to heal his leprosy.  He demonstrated bot faith and humility in his approach, making no demands. 

Jesus responded that he would do so and commanded that the man be clean.  The leprosy immediately disappeared, and Jesus instructed the man follow go to the priest and follow guidelines for being declared free, as described in Leviticus 14:1-33 as a testimony to the priests of God’s healing.

“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” (Matthew 8:5-9)

When they arrived at Capernaum, a Roman centurion met him and asked him to heal his servant who was suffering from palsy, a loss of voluntary control of muscles, often accompanied with uncontrollable jerking or twitching. 

The centurion knew how opposed the Jews were to associating with gentiles and how upset they would be if Jesus came to his house, so when Jesus offered to go heal the man, the centurion told him it would not be necessary.  As a centurion, he had the power to order his men to do a job and they obeyed him.  He recognized Jesus had far more power than he did and could simply give the order without going to his house, thus avoiding the complications going would involve. 

“ When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:10-12)

Jesus was amazed that a Roman, with little or no history of seeing god work could so readily accept his power while the Jews, who had been taught about it for their entire lives found it hard to accept.  He prophesied that the gentiles would come to God for salvation in far greater numbers than the Jews.  Many of the Jews would be cast into hell weeping because of the unbelief.  The prophecy has proven true over the centuries.

“And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” (Matthew 8:13)

Jesus honored the man’s faith, promising that what he had believed would happen.  The servant was healed at that time.

“And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.  And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.” (Matthew 8:14-15)

When they got to Peter’s house, Peter’s mother in law had a serious fever.  Jesus touched her hand and the fever was healed instantly.  As a result, she was able to get up and feed them.  For centuries the Catholic Church has taught that priests cannot marry.  They have also taught that Peter was the first Pope and that he was never married. This passage clearly contradicts that last tradition, that he was not married, and Paul backs it up in I Corinthians 9:5. 

Don’t Gamble On What Is Right

Matthew 7:15-29

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

Throughout their history Israel had had false prophets, men who claimed to be speaking what God had told them, and Jesus’ day was no exception.  Many of them gained large followings because they preached an exciting and attractive message, often assuring that following their advice would result in tremendous blessings. 

Jesus warned that deceit was part of their stock in trade.  Their message was and is designed to get people to do what they want.   While they appear to really care about the people, their only real concern is getting power over the people or their money.  In order to convince people they are telling the truth they do the same things legitimate men of God do.  They run charities to help the poor, drug rehab programs, women’s shelters, and soup kitchens.  They campaign for equality and justice, and tell exciting stories about the good they have done for others.  As a result people are convinced they are good people. 

Leaves of various types of trees appear similar at certain stages of development, and may result in misidentification of the trees.  By waiting until the fruit is ripe, even an inexperienced observer can easily tell whether it is an apple tree or a cherry tree.  More experienced observers may even identify a specific variety of that fruit.

In the same way, by looking at what the results of the persons claims are before committing, one can know whether the prophet is from God or not.  The time spent checking things out can save one’s freedoms, his belongings, or even his life.  Just as it is impossible for an apple tree to produce persimmons, it is impossible for a godly teacher to produce wicked followers who believe it is okay to lie, cheat, steal, and commit murder.  Likewise, those with a wicked attitude will produce a similar attitude in their followers.  The attitudes and intentions of the leader can be identified from those of their followers.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Like many people today, the Jews were inclined to accept anyone who attended church and prqyed as being Christians.  Unfortunately, even non-Christians can go to church and pray.  The ones who really are will do what God wants.  In John 14:23-24, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”  If they don’t consider God’s commands important, clearly they are not his people.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23)

Unfortunately, many feel that performing religious activities make them Christians.  They preach and go soul winning, and help the poor or homeless and get involved in the church, doing whatever they are told they need to do to get into heaven, whether praying the sinners prayer or being baptized or completing a confirmation or discipleship course.

When they bring up these things in the day of Judgment, Jesus said he would have to tell them he had never known them.  They didn’t somehow lose their salvation, they had never been his.  All they have to look forward too is eternal damnation because, as John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)

To hear and act on what Jesus had said would guarantee a solid footing when God’s judgment comes.   Their salvation will be sure because it is founded on truth rather than the teachings of some false prophet or some personal or cultural moral standard or interpretation of God’s law.

“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:26-27)

To ignore what Jesus said was in effect to base one’s eternity on mere human ideas and standards that would not hold up in the day of judgment though they seemed quite acceptable in ordinary times.  Their collapse will be even more shocking because they appeared so solidly based.  Failure to check out and be sure about one’s position is taking unnecessary risk.

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29)

The scribes were closely involved in the various interpretations of the scriptures and hesitated to take a firm position because they were not sure which school was right.  Jesus taught as one who knew was not depending on some interpreter’s ideas, but knew what the scriptures actually said.  Unlike the scribes, he was clear in his stance on what God expected.   It was up to them to decide what they were going to do.

Living a Life Acceptable to God

Matthew 7:1-14

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

Jesus warned against judging others because they would be held to the same standard as that by which they judged others.  The Jews had developed various schools of interpretation of the law after being conquered by the Greeks.  Over the years, they had collected the various interpretations into what is known today as the Talmud, using them much like lawyers today use legal precedence today.  What one group regarded as right might well be totally unacceptable to another group. 

Before judging others, they needed to be very sure of their own position.  People tend to judge others on the basis of what they know about themselves, assuming the same attitudes and motivations.  A thief usually assumes other people would steal if they thought they could get by with it, and an adulterer usually assumes others would commit adultery if the chance presented itself, because they know what they would do. 

Jesus warned that we need to eliminate wrong doing from our own lives before we judge others, so that we can judge fairly, based solely on the facts, rather than our assumptions.  Our own guilt otherwise may cause us to totally misconstrue what really happened.  Frequently, the assumed wrong never even happened.

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:5)

Just because something is important to you does not mean it will matter to everyone.  Some people consider what you share unimportant, and they may even use it as an excuse to turn on you, even using the things you shared against you.  Our decisions need to be based on the facts, not our own attitudes and emotions.   We need to use discretion in dealing with other people, whether sharing the gospel or just facts about our own lives.  

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-11)

The Jews claimed God as their father, just as Christians today do.  If a father cares about his children, he will do his best to provide the things they ask for.  He will not deliberately give them something that will hurt them instead.  If a person truly believes God is a loving father, there should be no fear that God will be angered by asking for something if asked in a respectful manner.   They should not be afraid of being punished for asking.

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:12-14)

Just as a child ought to try to please a loving father, people who believe God is a loving father should act accordingly.  Most of God’s commands related to how people treate those around them.  Jesus said all Gods commandments could be summed up in just two in Matthew 22:37-40.  “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

If a person treated others the way he wanted to be treated, je would be loving others the way he loved himself.  He would also be demonstrating his love for god by obeying him.   As Jesus points out, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for different ways of behaving to others, and not many are willing to limit themselves.  Most are more like children today, determined to go their own way with no concern for the effect on others.  Just as refusing to follow the standards set by their parents and the society may get one into a lot of trouble. Refusing to obey God’s law will result in destruction.  Obedience, on the other hand, will lead to God’s blessing and life.