Do Not Judge

1 ‘Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the splinter out of your eye,” and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. 6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Search, Knock

7 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. 12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Entering the Kingdom

13 ‘Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

15 ‘Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognise them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognise them by their fruit.

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. 22 On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name? ” 23 Then I will announce to them, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!”

The Two Foundations

24 ‘Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.’

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes. — Matthew 7 | Christian Standard Bible Anglicised (CSBA) Christian Standard Bible Anglicised Copyright © 2024 by Holman Bible Publishers. Cross References: 1 Samuel 15:33; 1 Samuel 24:13; 1 Kings 13:18; Job 22:16; Psalm 6:8; Psalm 16:11; Psalm 34:4; Psalm 37:4; Psalm 84:11; Psalm 109:17; Proverbs 9:8; Proverbs 10:8; Proverbs 10:25; Proverbs 23:9; Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 63:7; Daniel 4:14; Matthew 5:17; Matthew 8:1; Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:1; Matthew 12:33; Matthew 22:40; Matthew 25:10; Luke 6:37; Luke 6:41-42 and 43; Luke 11:10; Luke 13:24; John 3:14; Romans 2:1; 2 Corinthians 11:3; James 3:12

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

God's words are what ultimately matters. They make for a better bedrock to build our lives upon then our human words ever could make.

Queer theologians, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Collaborators with Rome, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Collaborators with Salt Lake City, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Dispensationalists and dual-covenant theologians, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Non-missional churches, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Parents who do not catechize their children and pastors who do not catechize their parishioners, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Minimizers and deniers of the Trinity, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Advocates of R2K, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Christian nationalists, Matthew 7:21-23 is about you.

Hey anon! I probably need more context about what about yourself you're worried about. But for now, here's what I've got.

Matthew 7:21 — “Not everybody who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter."

In this section of Matthew, the Gospel writer has compiled teachings of Jesus that have to do with “walking the walk,” rather than only “talking the talk.” Simply proclaiming that “Jesus is Lord” (”lord, lord”) isn’t what following God’s will is about. You have to do stuff too!

So what is God’s will (”the will of my Father who is in heaven”)?

Right before this declaration, Jesus brings up "good fruit" — whether or not a person is doing the will of God can be determined less by what they say and more by what fruit their words and actions produce.

“...Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and every rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit. And a rotten tree can’t produce good fruit...”

To me, this is very good news for a whole variety of people, including LGBTQA+ folks and non-Christians!

When any faith community claims that something harmful is the will of God, Jesus says no! God’s will is good fruit and flourishing.  .

Likewise, when a faith community claims that a person, an identity, a way of life goes against God’s will, but we can see that actually, that person or way of life is bearing good fruit, Jesus says listen! that person or way of life is affirmed by God. .

When specifically looking at LGBTQA+ folks, Rachel Held Evans puts this concept well: “If same-sex relationships are really sinful, then why do they so often produce good fruit—loving families, open homes, self-sacrifice, commitment, faithfulness, joy? And if conservative Christians are really right in their response to same-sex relationships, then why does that response often produce bad fruit—secrets, shame, depression, loneliness, broken families, and fear?”

I have a whole “good fruit” tag that explores these ideas further.

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Another section of Matthew that emphasizes “walking the walk” over “talking the talk” is Matthew 25:31-46. In this passage, you’ll find some examples of the actions that bring good fruit, including ensuring the rights and needs of all are met (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc.)

I have another post that delves into that passage and the question of orthodoxy versus orthopraxy here.

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Finally, the Gospel of Mark also has something to say on this topic of who is living out God’s will! In Mark 9:38-50, Jesus’s main posse of disciples have trouble realizing that they’re not the only ones doing good things in the world:

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”

Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him. No one who does powerful acts in my name can quickly turn around and curse me. Whoever isn’t against us is for us. I assure you that whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly be rewarded...”

Good deeds that yield good fruit are to be affirmed and supported! It doesn’t matter what the person doing them believes or who they are; they don’t have to be in the “right” religion or community.

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