Jesus calls us not to judge others harshly or hypocritically, but rather to exercise discernment with humility and self-awareness. Our natural tendency is to judge others more strictly than ourselves, often without knowing the full story or the struggles they face. Jesus warns that the standard we use to judge others will be the standard used for us, urging us to first examine our own hearts and motives before addressing the faults of others. True discernment comes from a place of compassion and honesty, not pride or self-righteousness, and requires us to deal with our own shortcomings before we can help others. [04:24]
Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see 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,’ when there is the log 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.”
Reflection: Is there someone you have judged harshly this week? What would it look like to pause, consider your own heart, and approach them with humility and compassion instead?
While we are not to be judgmental, Jesus teaches that we must still discern between right and wrong, and not give what is holy to those who will trample it. This means evaluating situations and people with wisdom, recognizing when sharing the treasures of faith would be unwise or even harmful. Discernment is not about condemning others, but about protecting what is sacred and being wise stewards of the truth God has entrusted to us. We are called to test what we accept and participate in, always seeking to align our actions with God’s standards rather than the world’s. [19:00]
Matthew 7:6 (ESV)
“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”
Reflection: Where in your life do you need to exercise greater discernment about what you share, with whom, and how you engage with the world around you?
God calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we can discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect according to His will. This transformation requires us to evaluate our thoughts, beliefs, and actions in light of God’s Word, rejecting what is wrong and embracing what is right. By doing so, we resist the pressure to conform to the world and instead become people who reflect God’s truth and love. This process is ongoing and intentional, requiring us to seek God’s wisdom daily and allow Him to shape our understanding and decisions. [22:33]
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Reflection: What is one area of your thinking or behavior that needs to be renewed today so you can better discern and follow God’s will?
Jesus encourages us to come to God persistently and confidently, knowing that our Father in heaven delights to give good gifts to His children. Even when answers seem delayed or different from what we expect, we are invited to keep asking, seeking, and knocking, trusting in God’s perfect wisdom and love. Our relationship with God is not based on our own merit, but on His grace and fatherly care, and we are called to approach Him with the trust and openness of a beloved child. [27:30]
Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV)
“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 the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Reflection: What is one need or desire you have been hesitant to bring to God? Will you bring it to Him today, trusting in His love and care for you?
God never makes mistakes, even when His answers or the circumstances of our lives are hard to understand. He is a loving Father—our “Daddy”—who desires a deep, personal relationship with us and always acts for our ultimate good. When we struggle to see God’s love because of past hurts or unanswered prayers, we are invited to bring our doubts and pain to Him, trusting that He cares for us more deeply than we can imagine. In every situation, God’s wisdom and love are at work, shaping us and drawing us closer to Himself. [34:15]
2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
Reflection: Is there a painful experience or unanswered question that makes it hard for you to trust God as your loving Father? What would it look like to bring that honestly before Him today and ask for His comfort and understanding?
The journey through the Sermon on the Mount brings us to a crucial teaching in Matthew 7:1-11, where Jesus addresses the theme of judgment and discernment. The call is not to abandon all evaluation or to live passively in the world, but to approach others with humility, self-awareness, and a deep sense of our own need for grace. Jesus warns against the hypocrisy of judging others while ignoring our own faults, using the vivid image of a log in our own eye compared to a speck in someone else’s. This is a call to honest self-examination and to deal with our own shortcomings before attempting to help others.
Yet, Jesus does not command us to be blind or naïve. He instructs us to discern—to recognize what is holy and to be wise about with whom we share the treasures of the faith. This discernment is not about condemnation, but about loving others well, protecting what is sacred, and refusing to participate in what is wrong. The balance is found in holding truth and love together: we are to test the spirits, to renew our minds, and to reject what is evil, but always with a spirit of compassion rather than superiority.
Jesus’ own example with Pilate and Herod shows us how to respond differently based on the openness of a person’s heart. With those who are genuine, even if they do not yet believe, we engage honestly. With those who are hardened and mocking, we do not cast what is holy before them. This is wisdom in action, guided by the Spirit.
Finally, Jesus turns our attention to the heart of the Father. We are invited to ask, seek, and knock, trusting that God is a loving Father who delights to give good gifts to His children. The challenge is to see God not only as a distant authority but as our “Daddy”—one who cares deeply, who never makes mistakes, and who desires a close, trusting relationship with us. Even when we do not understand His ways, we are called to trust in His perfect wisdom and love, knowing that He is always working for our good.
Matthew 7:1-11 (ESV) — 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you see 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,’ when there is the log 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 dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
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 the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or which one of 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 serpent?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
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