[Faith Presses On]

Here's the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. In this chapter Jesus tells us not judge others or cast our pearls before swine, but that we should ask of the Father and we will receive and that we should also do unto others as we would have them do unto us, strive to enter at the narrow gate, and beware of false prophets. Jesus also tells us that we must do what He's commanded us to do, otherwise it's like building a house on sand. At the end of the Sermon, Matthew tells us that the people were astonished because He taught with authority. Authority is always so important. Today the world is attacking the authority of God, His Word, His Church, and it seeks to impose its worldly authority on us. It's interesting too how Jesus' authority was contrasted with how the scribes taught.

Heavenly Father, thank you Your Word. Help us to understand it better. Amen.

[BipolarBob]

Read it carefully. Actually He doesn’t say not to judge. We are to judge. But we are to do so righteously and judicially. If we don’t judge how can we discern evil? As one prominent religious leader said once on homosexuality “Who am I to judge?”. Thereby exposing his agenda, predispositions and sheeps clothing exterior.

[onedoug]

Based primarily on the Oral Law, with a few pointers in Torah, Hebrews, and particularly among the Pharisees, had made hand washing prior to eating a tradition.

On that occasion when Jesus and the Disciples dined among the Pharisees by forgoing this tradition, and were shocked that Jesus had not washed, he rebuked them by saying, “It is not what enters into a man’s mouth that defiles him, but it is what comes out of his mouth that defiles him.” (Matthew 15:6-11)

Though the Pharisees could not have known then of bacterial and viral contamination, one would think that Jesus, being God, would have known this. He wouldn’t have needed to inform the Disciples, but by passing on the tradition, would seem to have been placing their, and his own health in some danger.

In fairness, I’m Noachide, but have never tried to undermine the New Testament, instead seeking what therein is consistent with The Law. And this is one of those things that has always nagged at me a bit.

Thanks for whatever consideration, come what come may.

[Salvation]

Matthew, chapter 7

Judging Others.
1* a “Stop judging,* that you may not be judged.b 2For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.c 3Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? 5You hypocrite,* remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

Pearls Before Swine.
6“Do not give what is holy to dogs,* or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.d

The Answer to Prayers.
7e “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.f 8For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.g 9Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,* 10or a snake when he asks for a fish? 11If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.h

The Golden Rule.
12* “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.i 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 those who enter through it are many.j 14How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

False Prophets.*
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.k 16l By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So by their fruits you will know them.m

The True Disciple.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,* but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.n 22Many will say to me on that day,o ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’p 23Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you.* Depart from me, you evildoers.’q

The Two Foundations.
24* “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.r 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.s But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 26And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

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* When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,

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* t for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

http://usccb.org/bible/matthew/7