The Strand Study Bible

MATTHEW MATTHEW 6:25 There is good reason why Jesus warned believers here not to get “stressed out” ( Take no thought for your life ). Stress has been medically proven to lower a person’s resistance, which in turn can cause uninvited diseases, ulcers, and even strokes (Phil 4:6-7). 6:26 God considers man His greatest creation ( Are ye not much better than they? – Mt Mt 12:12 ) 6:28 Jesus reminded his disciples that they were likened to lilies ( SOS 2:1 ), and that lilies don’t worry ( why take ye thought ), so why should they. Lilies don’t work ( they toil not ), they let God work through them. And lilies don’t even have the wherewithal ( neither do they spin ) to properly care for them selves. God does it all for lilies, and He will do it for believers as well, if only they will “yield.” 6:33 Jesus’ entire teachings were summarized within this one verse. His focus was centered on two subjects: (1) The Kingdom of God (the future; the eternal perspective); and (2) The righteousness of God ( His character ). Seeking God’s kingdom (focusing on that which is eternal verses that which is temporal - II Cor 4:14-18) and His character (focusing on godliness - I Tim 6:6-10) will bring about God’s blessings and open rewards upon one’s life. 7:1 According to Jesus it would be wise on our part to avoid the “judgment seat business” ( Judge not ) ( I Cor 4:1a ). Max Lucado in Let the Journey Begin notes: 1499 We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn’t see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk, but cannot see the tack in her shoe. We mock the fear in their eyes, but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts they have dodged. Are they too loud? Perhaps they fear being neglected again. Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again. Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried. You don’t know. Only one who has followed yesterday’s steps can be their judge. Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. Dare we judge a book while chapters are yet unwritten? Should we pass a verdict on a painting while the artist still holds the brush? How can you dismiss a soul until God’s work is complete? 1 In a 1993 Christianity Today article (April 5, p. 17), Stephen Brown recalled the words of the British preacher F. B. Meyer concerning judging others. Meyer pointed out that when we see a brother or sister in sin, there are two things we don’t know : First, we don’t know how hard he or she tried not to sin; Second, we don’t know the strength of the force that assailed him or her. Brown added a third unknown: we don’t know what we would have done in the same situation . To those three wise observations, we can add a fourth from the apostle Paul: The true Judge, Jesus Christ, is coming and He will bring to light everything that is now hidden to the eyes and heart of man. Therefore, since the true Judge is coming, we should “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes.” Although Christians will do wrong from time to time (and, as a body, we need to take our stand - I Cor 5:1-5), still, we need to remember that we (who, at the moment, haven’t sinned) are also vulnerable to stumbling. So, lets not count a brother out just because he tripped (II Cor 2:1-7). David Jeremiah ( Today’s Turning Point - Tuesday, July 11, 2006) agrees. He notes: When we judge another, we usurp the role given by God to Christ alone (John 5:22). Next time you’re tempted to judge another, remember these four reasons not to judge – especially the last one. The only person we are qualified and authorized to judge is ourself (I Corinthians 11:31). 2 It’s time Christians begin looking into the mirror of the Word of God ( Amos 7:7 , Jms 1:23-25 and II Cor 3:18) and start critiquing themselves instead of each other. THE ADAGE IS TRUE: If you’re desiring to be better than someone else, try being better than the person you were yesterday 7:5 a Verses 3-5 indicate that people who are the most critical of others ( Thou hypocrite ) often have greater sins hiding in their own hearts (Rom 2:1-3 and Jn 8:7). 7:5 b The Bible certainly teaches Christians to judge among themselves (I Cor 5 and 6). However; before we judge others and try to clean up their lives, we need to clean up our own lives first ( first cast out ) ( II Cor 2:7 ). 7:6 People who fail to appreciate the “holiness” of God’sWord shouldn’t be allowed to understand its meaning. Note the statement – “ neither cast ye your pearls (God’s Word) before swine (those who fail to appreciate the worth of the Word).” 7:14 Unfortunately, many of the smaller religions within America, i.e., Seventh Day Adventists (c. 14 million followers), Mormons (c. 11 million followers), Apostolic Church (c. 10 million followers), Jehovah’s Witnesses (c. 6 million followers), Church of Christ (c. 2.5 million followers), United Church of Christ (c. 1.2 million followers), Disciples of Christ (c. 1.1 million followers), United Pentecostal (c. 1 million followers), and the United Church of God (c. 20,000 followers), all believe this verse applies to them because of the statement: … and few there be that find it . Because their numbers are few compared to larger religions, i.e., Islam (c. 1 billion followers), Hinduism (c. 790 million followers), Buddhism (c. 350 million followers), and Catholicism (500 million followers), they believe God must be talking about them. He is not. Jesus was speaking here about that small group of believers, i.e., the Post-Jewish MESSIANIC movement , that believe in salvation by grace, not works ( Gal 3:1-3 ). NOTE - According to Jesus, more people will miss eternal life than find it. Why? Because people would rather try and work (earn) their way to Heaven than trust the “ WORK ” Jesus did on the cross (grace) ( Jonah 2:9 , Exo 14:31 and Jn 6:28-29 ). 7:15 One does not have to go looking for false prophets. According to the Bible, they will come looking for you . It is the job of every Christian to judge the message they bring (I Jn 4:1-3). Verse 16 tells us that we shall know them by their fruits (teachings). Meaning: Christians better get to know their Bible! 1 Lucado, Max. Let the Journey Begin . Nashville, TN: Word Publishing. 1998. Print. 2 David Jeremiah, Today’s Turning Point , Tuesday, July 11, 2006