“Hanging around with Dogs & Pigs”
Matthew 7:1-6
Theme; underlying concept that of “Judgment”. Jesus proceeds with the teaching, and then puts it in different ways throughout the rest of the chapter.
Look @ connection between Cp. 6&7
Lets review what Jesus has taught thus far;
We get a deep description of the Christian man& his character
We are shown the effect on him of all that happens in the world & how he reacts to these.
We are reminded his function on earth, to be salt & light set forth for all to see.
Then, having described the Christian as he is & in his setting, our Lord goes on to give instructions with regard to his life in this world. Starting with the relationship to the law, especially considering the false teachings of Pharisees, as Jesus in Chpt. 5 annunciates 6 main principles, giving His view & interpretation of law in contrast to teachings of the day. We were taught how Christians are to behave in general, how the law applies to us, and what is expected of us in our walk with our Savior.
Then in Chpt. 6, our Lord looks at this Christian who has thus been described, living life in this world, & in a relationship with our heavenly Father, knowing that God is always watching us, our alms giving, prayer, fasting, everything to bring about growth & nurture to our spiritual life.
The next section we are showed the danger of the impact of the life in this world around us. Dangers such as worldliness, of living for the here & now.
Now we are taught in Chpt. 7 on our relationship with other people, but the importance that our relationship with our heavenly Father is affected on how we act to our fellow man.
2 men running for office, 1 vegetarian, devout church member, charismatic personality, great speaker, seemed like everything he said was needed. 2 drinker, smoker, known to beat his wife, slovenly appearance who would you vote for. Hitler/Churchill
Matthew 7:1-6 First word “Judge”
To condemn, pronounce guilty, accuse, to express unfavorable opinion, to criticize…
I. The Caution of a Critical Spirit 7:1-4
A. The Peril of Spiritual Pride Vs.1
1. The same word used in John 3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
2. Condemnation, lifting oneself up over another in
criticism This kind of judging only comes from pride;that one is better able to judge another
B. The Peril of an Unjust Scale Vs.2
1. An interesting thing happened one day in a church where the great American businessman Samuel Colgate was a member. During an evangelistic campaign a prostitute came forward and confessed her sins. She was broken-hearted and wept openly. she asked God to save her soul and expressed a desire to join the church. "I’ll gladly sit in some back corner," she said. The Preacher hesitated to call for a motion to accept her into membership, and for a few moments the silence was
oppressive. Finally, a member stood up and suggested that action on her request is postponed. At that point Mr. Colgate arose and said with an undertone of sarcasm, "I guess we blundered when we prayed that the
Lord would save sinners. We forgot to specify what kind. We’d better ask Him to forgive us for this oversight. The Holy Spirit has touched this woman and made her truly repentant, but apparently the Lord doesn’t understand she isn’t the type we want Him to rescue." Many in the audience blushed with shame. They had been guilty of judging like the Pharisee in the temple who exclaimed self-righteously, ’God, I thank You that I am not as other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers" (Luke 18:11) Another motion was made and the woman was
unanimously received into the fellowship. Our Daily Bread, September 14
C. The Peril of a Blind Eye Vs.3
1. “why beholdest thou”
2. We should not look for the faults of others. We need to
notice our own and deal with that
3. “mote” (kar fos) a dry twig or straw
4. “beam” (dok os) stick of timber 2X4
D. The Peril of a Quick Tongue Vs.4
1. “how wilt thou
2. Think before you speak
3. Act upon yourself before you react to others
4. James 1:19-20 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let
every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the
righteousness of God.
5. Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging there but gives us the fix to the problem.
II. Cure for A Critical Spirit Vs.5
A. Confront Your Self
1.Lamentations 3:40 – Let us search and try our ways,
and turn again to the LORD. and again, Haggai 1:5 -
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider
your ways.
B.Confess Your Sin
1. we should be pure
C. Correct Your Sight
1. We cannot truly see the needs of others when our view is blocked.
2. It will also guarantee that we have the right motive
3. It will ensure we act our of love and concern& It will be done in the right spirit
4. One additional thought Christ gives concerns the proper use of judgment in regard to those that have a disdain for God.
III. Concerning A Contemptuous Spirit – 7:6
A.This is not the same as persecution. Persecution is suffering
because of or for the sake of Christ. This is directed at God
and anything that is holy.
B. Another way of reading this might be, “Give not that which is
holy unto the dogs lest they turn again and rend you neither
cast ye your pearls before swine lest they trample them under
their feet.”
C.Dogs in the ancient middle east were not household pets
(except for those that tended sheep) but were scavengers and
cruel, often biting the hand that fed them. The thought here
is a priest taking the burnt offering that is to be offered up as
a sacrifice to the Holy God of Israel, & throwing it to a pack
of wild dogs, causing a gross sense of disrespect.
D.Swine, likewise, were wild by nature, unclean animals
forbidden by Jewish law, sometimes as practical joke, the
lavishly rich would take pearls & throw them as seed. The
swine would rush to them thinking it to be grain, to discover
the hoax would trample on these costly pearls as pigs
commonly put their feet on their food. Becoming enraged,
they would then turn on the practical joker.(wild boars &
tusks can do much damage)
E. Pigs were the worst of the worst to a Jew. When pigs feed,
they will eat slop. They don’t care what form it comes in. If
you throw a valuable and costly pearl into the slop, the pig
will do nothing but trample it underfoot. It is of no value to
them.
F.give another illustration of Pharisees & Scribes
G.They attack God and His Word They tear down the preciousness of God’s moral absolutes They don’t care who they hurt or what they say, They laugh at the gospel,
They mock and ridicule the things of God
H.Here, you have to judge (or discern) that you can do nothing for them and they must be left to the Holy Spirit.
