How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Matthew 6:25-7:14 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

7 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?¹¹ 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 what is good to those who ask Him!

¹² “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

In today’s text it says:  “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”     How often have we heard this passage from today’s text concerning judging others, spoken even by those outside the church.  Those who do not believe or follow Christ often still have verses of scripture that they like to use against believers. They like to tell us that the Bible says we are not to judge them. What Jesus says here is not that we shouldn’t judge at all, but rather that we should be certain that we have first examined our own lives and our own hearts. We remove the log from our own eye not by our righteousness, but by the grace of God through the blood of Christ. If we see clearly, then we will also view others through the eyes of grace. What Jesus says next is something that many would consider offensive, so rarely if ever will the very next verse be included by those who are telling believers they cannot judge. Jesus says:  “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”   When we look again at what Jesus instruction is concerning judgment, it was toward a brother, a fellow believer. We are also to extend grace and forgiveness to the world, but we are to understand and judge what is unworthy of holiness and the goodness and the riches of the kingdom of heaven. 2 Peter 2:21-22 says:  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and turned away from the holy commandment passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”    We should continue to offer grace to those in sin, but we should seek to draw them out of the mire, not encourage them to remain in sin. We should make every effort to help them see clearly.  

Again in today’s text Jesus says:   “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”  This verse too, even some who are not believers will quote to tell others how they should live. But the very next verses are again considered offensive and intolerant. They are not acceptable to the culture of inclusion in today’s society. Jesus says:   “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”   In John 14:6 Jesus says:  "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”   In Revelation 3:19-20, the Lord says:  “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hearsMy voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.”     We should not only treat others the way we would want to be treated, we should also tell them only the truth. We should tell them that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We should not walk with them and lead them on the wide way that leads to destruction, but rather we should help them to enter by the narrow gate of Christ.  

Jesus says:  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  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 what is good to those who ask Him!”  

Thank You heavenly Father, that You have given us Your very best. You gave us Jesus, Your Son, to be our Savior and Lord. You gave us the Holy Spirit so that we would know the way and the truth; to help us not to judge but to treat others as we have been treated by You.   Amen.