Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: MATTHEW #10 - 7:1-12)
F. 7:1-12 ON JUDGING: THE GOLDEN RULE
a. 7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged. MeKRIne-te [2919], HIna mekriTHEte.
b. 7:2 JUDGMENT GIVEN SHALL BE PROPORTIONATELY RETURNED
en hogar KRIma-ti [2917] KRIne-te, kriTHEses-the:
For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged:
kai en hoMEtro[3358] meTREIte [3354], me-treTHEse-tai huMIN.
and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you.
c. 7:3 THE INCONSISTENCY THAT ACCOMPANIES MOST JUDGMENTS.
ti de BLEpeis [991] to KARphos [2595] to en tooph-thalMOtou a-delPHOU sou;
And why do you behold the mote that isin the eye of your :brother;
ten de en tosooph-thalMOdoKON [1385] ou ka-ta-noEIS [2657]?
but do not consider the beam that isin your :eye?
d. 7:4 INCONSISTENCY PREVENTS HELPFUL JUDGMENT
epos eREIS toa-delPHOsou, Aphes [863]ekBAlo[1544] to KARphos ek tou oph-thalMOU sou;
Or how will you say to your :brother, Let me cast out the mote out of your :eye;
kai iDOU, hedoKOS [1385] en tooph-thalMOsou?
and lo, the beam isin your :eye?
e. 7:5 THE GREAT PREREQUISITE TO JUDGMENT
hu-po-kriTA [5273], EKba-le PROton ek tou oph-thalMOU sou ten doKON;
Hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your :eye;
kai TOte di-aBLEpseisek-baLEIN to KARphos ek tou oph-thalMOU tou a-delPHOU sou.
and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of the eye of your :brother.
f. 7:6 THE NEED FOR DISCRIMINATION IN SHARING!
MeDOte [1325] to HAgi-on [40] tois kuSIN [2965],
Give not what is :holy to the dogs,
meDE BAle-te [906] tous mar-gaRItas [3135] huMON EMpros-then ton CHOIron [5519],
neither cast your :pearls before the swine,
MEpo-te ka-ta-paTEsou-sin [2662] auTOUS en tois poSIN [4229] auTON,
lest haply they shall trample them under theirfeet,
kai straPENtes [4762] RExo-sin [4486] huMAS.
and should turn and rend you.
g. 7:7-8 WISDOM IN JUDGMENT: GIVEN FOR DILIGENT SEEKING
AiTEIte [154], kai doTHEse-tai [1325] huMIN; zeTEIte [2212],kai euREse-te [2147];
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find;
KROUe-te [2925], kai a-noiGEse-tai huMIN:
knock, and it shall be opened to you:
pas gar ho aiTON lamBAnei [2983]; kai ho zeTON heuRISkei; kai toKROUon-ti [2925] aNOIge-tai [455].
8 for every onethat asks receives; and who seeks finds; and to him that knocks it is being opened.
h. 7:9-10 ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ANSWERS: TAKEN FROM EARTHLY FATHERS
etis ex huMON ANthro-pos [444], hon,
Or what man of you, who,
aiTEsei [154] ho huiOS auTOU ARton [740], meLIthon [3037] e-piDOsei [1929] auTO;
if his :son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;
ekai ichTHUN [2486] aiTEsei, meOphin [3789] e-piDOsei auTO?
10 or also if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?
i. 7:11 GOD SURPASSES EARTHLY FATHERS IN GOOD GIVING
ei oun huMEIS, po-neROI [4190] ONtes, OIda-te DOma-ta a-gaTHA diDOnai tois TEKnois huMON,
If you therefore, being evil, know howto give good gifts unto your :children,
POsoMALlon ho paTER huMON ho en tois ou-raNOIS
how much more shall your :Father who isin the heavens
DOsei [1325] a-gaTHA tois aiTOUsin [154] auTON?
give good thingsto them that ask him?
j. 7:12 GOD GIVES WISDOM ON BASIS OF GOLDEN RULE
PANta oun HOsa eAN theLE-te [2309] HIna poiOsin [4160] huMIN hoi ANthro-poi,
Allthingstherefore whatsoever you would that :men should do to you,
HOUtos kai huMEIS poiEIte auTOIS: HOUtos GAR es-tin ho NOmos kai hoi proPHEtai.
thus do you also to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
NOTE: Whenever we fail to truly identify ourselves with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection – we are in danger of slipping into this judgmental pose. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”(Mark 8:34). Oswald Chambers in his book on “The Sermon on the Mount” makes this abundantly clear. In his daily devotional “My Utmost for His Highest,” this concept is also crystal clear.
I wrote down last October 2006 – “Don’t judge – Just pray!” Next I jotted down, “Write to please the Lord – not people.” If we can write so that it pleases both the Lord and people at the same time – well and good. But if the choice is either/or – then let it always be to please the Lord first.
In the context of our Sermon on the Mount reading today, see how the Golden Rule permeates and concludes all spoken on judging and giving. We can say for this section, “Thank You, Jesus – for making this subject so clear.” This would be a good section to memorize and meditate upon. It adequately breaks the Pharisee spirit in each one of us.
It is interesting to note that the Golden Rule equivalent appears in at least 6 other major cultures! It takes rudeness and insensitivity out of our character, and lets Jesus live out through us His consideration, love, kindness, sensitivity, gentleness and everything else that He is! J.A.W.