Matthew 7

Judging and Discernment

1“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3Why do you look at the speck in your brother's or sister's eye but do not notice the beam in your own eye? 4Or how can you say, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a beam in your own? 5Hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's or sister's eye. 6“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they may trample them under their feet and turn and tear you apart.

Ask, Seek, Knock

7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door will be opened. 9Or which of you, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12Therefore, in everything, do to others whatever you want them to do to you. For this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Gate

13“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But the gate is narrow and the road constricted that leads to life, and few find it.

Trees and Fruit

15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, you will recognize them by their fruits.

Doing the Father's Will

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and do many works of power in your name?’ 23Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you who practice lawlessness.’

The Two Builders

24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, because its foundation had been laid on rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and struck that house, and it fell—and its fall was great.”

The Authority of Jesus

28When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like their scribes.