JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED. This is not to be understood of any sort of judgment; not of judgment in the civil courts of judicature, by proper magistrates, which ought to be made and pass, according to the nature of the case; nor of judgment in the churches of Christ, where offenders are to be... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WITH WHAT JUDGMENT YE JUDGE, YE SHALL BE JUDGED,.... Both by God and men; to which agree those proverbial sentences used by the Jews; "He that judgeth his neighbour according to the balance of righteousness, or innocence, they judge him according to righteousness.'' w And a little after, "As... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHY BEHOLDEST THOU THE MOTE THAT IS IN THY BROTHER'S EYE?.... By "mote" is meant, any little bit of straw, or small splinter of wood, that flies into the eye, and does it damage, hinders its sight, and gives it pain; and designs little sins, comparatively speaking, such as youthful follies, huma... [ Continue Reading ]
OR HOW WILT THOU SAY TO THY BROTHER?.... This is not so much an interrogation, as an expression of admiration, at the front and impudence of such censorious remarkers, and rigid observators; who not content to point at the faults of others, take upon them to reprove them in a very magisterial way: a... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HYPOCRITE, FIRST CAST OUT THE BEAM OUT OF THINE OWN EYE,.... Very rightly does our Lord call such a man an hypocrite, who is very free in remarking and reproving other men's sins, and covering his own; and indeed, one end of his critical observations, rigid censures, and rash judgments is, that... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE NOT THAT WHICH IS HOLY TO THE DOGS,.... Dogs were unclean creatures by the law; the price of one might not be brought into the house of the Lord, for a vow, Deuteronomy 23:18 yea, these creatures were not admitted into several temples of the Heathens h. Things profane and unclean, as flesh torn... [ Continue Reading ]
ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU,.... This is to be understood of asking of God in prayer, for such things as are wanting; whether of a temporal nature, as food and raiment, which Christ, in the former chapter, had warned against an immoderate and anxious concern for; or of a spiritual nature, as grace... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR EVERYONE THAT ASKETH RECEIVETH,.... For God is no respecter of persons; whoever makes application, be he a Jew, or a Gentile, rich or poor, bond or free, a man of great gifts, or mean parts, provided he asks aright, from right principles, and with right views, shall not lose his labour; but shal... [ Continue Reading ]
OR WHAT MAN IS THERE OF YOU,.... "That is a father", as in Luke 11:11 that is, is in the relation, and has the affections of a father; and indeed is a man, and has the nature and passions of a man; unless he is become a mere brute, and devoid of all humanity, WHOM IF HIS SON ASK BREAD, WILL HE GIV... [ Continue Reading ]
OR IF HE ASK A FISH, WILL HE GIVE HIM A SERPENT?] Which is somewhat like a fish, especially an eel. Fish and bread are mentioned, because these were common food; see Mark 6:41 John 21:13 and particularly in Galilee, a fish country, where Christ now was, and from whence he had called his disciples,... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE THEN BEING EVIL,.... As all mankind in general are, both by nature and practice: they are conceived in sin, shapen in iniquity; are evil from their youth, and transgressors from the womb; are corrupt, and do abominable things; and such these Jews were Christ speaks unto; and who, very likely,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER,.... These words are the epilogue, or conclusion of our Lord's discourse; the sum of what he had delivered in the two preceding Chapter s, and in this hitherto, is contained in these words; for they not only respect the exhortation about judging and reproving; but eve... [ Continue Reading ]
ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE,.... By the "strait gate" is meant Christ himself; who elsewhere calls himself "the door", John 10:7 as he is into the church below, and into all the ordinances and privileges of it; as also to the Father, by whom we have access unto him, and are let into communion wi... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE STRAIT IS THE GATE, AND NARROW IS THE WAY,.... And so, difficult to enter in at; and when entered, the way is unpleasant to the flesh to walk in, being hedged up on each side with afflictions and tribulations; and moreover, is like the "narrow place", or στενος τοπος, "the strait place", as... [ Continue Reading ]
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS,.... Or false teachers; for not such who pretended to foretell things to come, but such who set up themselves to be teachers of others, are here meant; see 2 Peter 2:1. It may be queried, whether our Lord has not respect to the Scribes and Pharisees, who sat in Moses's chair... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS,.... By "fruits" are meant, not so much their external works in life and conversation; for a false prophet may so behave, as not to be discovered thereby. So the Pharisees were outwardly righteous before men; and false teachers among Christians may have the form of... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 17 EVEN SO EVERY GOOD TREE BRINGETH FORTH GOOD FRUIT,.... As is the tree, so is its fruit; if the tree is good, it will bring forth good fruit. The tree that brings forth good fruit, is good antecedent to the fruit it produces; it is first good, and then puts forth good fruit: it is not the fru... [ Continue Reading ]
A GOOD TREE CANNOT BRING FORTH EVIL FRUIT,.... A man that is unprincipled with the grace of God, has an experimental acquaintance with the Gospel of Christ, and is guided by the Spirit of God into all truth, as it is in Jesus, cannot knowingly deliver, maintain, and abide by any doctrine that is con... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY TREE THAT BRINGETH NOT FORTH GOOD FRUIT,.... Every preacher and teacher that does not bring the Gospel of Christ with him, and plainly and faithfully preach it to the people, sooner or later, IS HEWN DOWN: however he may have appeared as a tall lofty cedar, and have carried it with a high han... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. This is the conclusion of the whole, and a repetition of what is before said, the more to fix the rule of judgment upon their minds, and engage them to try men by their doctrines, and their doctrines by the standard of the Scriptures, and not believe eve... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME LORD, LORD,.... Not every one that calls Christ his Lord and Master, professes subjection to him, or that calls upon his name, or is called by his name; or makes use of it in his public ministrations. There are many who desire to be called, and accounted Christians, a... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD,.... That is, in the last day, the day of judgment, the great and famous day, fixed by God, unknown to angels and men, which will be terrible to some, and joyful to others; the day in which the faithful ministers of the Gospel shall be owned by Christ, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM,.... Publicly before men and angels, at the day of judgment, I NEVER KNEW YOU; which must be understood consistent with the omniscience of Christ; for as the omniscient God he knew their persons and their works, and that they were workers of iniquity; he knew what they... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WHOSOEVER HEARETH THESE SAYINGS OF MINE,.... The comparison in this, and the following verses, is the concluding part of our Lord's discourses upon the mount, which are meant by these sayings, or doctrines, he here speaks of; and as he had in some foregoing verses chiefly respect to preach... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE RAINS DESCENDED, AND THE FLOODS CAME,.... These several metaphors of "rain", "floods", "stream", and "winds", may design the temptations of Satan, the persecutions of the world, the corruptions of a man's own heart, and the errors and false doctrines of men; from all which such a man is safe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EVERYONE THAT HEARETH THESE SAYINGS OF MINE,.... Who only externally hears them, but has no understanding of them; do not believe them, nor like and approve of them, but hates and despises them; or if not, depends upon his external hearing of them, and contents himself with a speculative knowled... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE RAIN DESCENDED, AND THE FLOODS CAME,.... Such builders, and such a building, cannot stand against the violent rain of Satan's temptations, the floods of the world's persecutions, the stream and rapid torrent of their own heart's lusts, nor the blowing winds of heresy and false doctrine, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN JESUS HAD ENDED THESE SAYINGS,.... Delivered in this, and the two foregoing Chapter s, concerning true happiness; the duty and usefulness of Gospel ministers; the true sense and meaning of several commandments in the law; concerning alms, prayer, and fasting; concerning the... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE TAUGHT THEM, AS ONE HAVING AUTHORITY,.... This does not so much respect the subject matter of his ministry, the gravity, weight, and solidity of his doctrine; which, to be sure, was greatly different from that of the Scribes, which chiefly lay in proposing and handling things trivial, and of... [ Continue Reading ]