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7
Judging Others
1 “Judge not, lest you be judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Permit me to remove the speck from your eye’; and look, there is a plank in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.
6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8 For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks, it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son should ask for bread, will give him a stone? 10 And if he should ask for a fish, he will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, by how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, thus also you do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow Gate
13 “Enter in through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way which leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in through it. 14 O how narrow the gate, and confined is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it!
Warning Against False Prophets
15 “But beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grape clusters from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 Thus every good tree produces good fruit, but a corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 20 Consequently, by their fruits you shall know them.
Concerning Self-Deception
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name we cast out demons, and in Your name we did many mighty works?’ 23 And then I will confess to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you who work iniquity!’
Hearers and Doers
24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26 “And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And its fall was great.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not like the scribes.

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© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito