Matthew 7 - Teachings of Jesus Christ part 3
By making a connection of each teachings in this chapter, there’s a pattern that leads to a principle where the Golden rule overlaps with it. In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.
New Revised Standard Version: Updated Edition Romans 13
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.* 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”* 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
New Revised Standard Version: Updated Edition Galatians 5
14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus Christ is the gate John 10:9, indeed it is narrow for many because of unbelief. Salvation belongs to & comes from Jesus Christ and only Him. In other book such as Gospel of Luke these teachings are grouped together in a chapter as well albeit in different order. So maybe Jesus Christ was preaching in one seating back then to the disciples and the crowd came near to listen. In this settings, He also taught about bearing good fruits, I believed it is the spiritual fruits that was mention in Galatians 55:22-23. However for the people in that era, Paul was not yet converted so from their point of view, Jesus Christ is teaching them using the everyday life illustrations of trees bearing fruits as farming was one of their biggest economy driving force in their livelihood.
Apple trees cannot bear oranges… hence Jesus Christ stated clearly that those who follow Jesus Christ, calling Him, Lord, but still behave lawlessly will not enter the kingdom of heaven for He does not know them. In the Lord’s prayer, it is mentioned, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven”, linking back again to who God is, His character and His will. Then the lawlessness is mentioned, which brings us right back to summing up of one commandment : is to love others as ourselves. The whole law, from the ten commandments & the expansion of each itemized rules derives from that. Take note that rituals of cleansing & sacrifices are different from the laws. Jesus Christ is talking about the ethic & moral laws in a community. Although it is also logical to view the rituals of cleansing that protects the sanitary area in a community which leads to the protection of others’ health.
When the crowds said that Jesus Christ taught as one having authority and not as their scribes, it is because Jesus Christ is a Man of His words, people usually are impressed and inspired by those who walk the talk. Not only that, Jesus Christ uses an illustration of what is common in their lives, as their places of living consist of canyons or wadi, there are places that dries up when there’s no rain, and the sands are at the bed of those wadis. However there are seasons when the rain comes, the flood came rushing & wash away whatever is on those bed of wadis. This is common in nearby Jerusalem in the land of Israel. So Jesus Christ use those illustrations that matches the local’s lives & not with the knowledge of the Greeks.
There’s a distinction on how a Jewish person think, one quoted that when a Jewish person sees a bottle, they see the how & usage of it, when a Greek sees it, they see it as a decoration or artful philosophy. In the end the bottle have two different meanings because there are two different mindset hence both can be factual at the same time depending on their state of mind. But only those who lived it out knows the real meaning of it & this wisdom comes from experience with all the good and the bad and the ugly, the whole package. So here Jesus Christ is teaching His disciples and also the crowds to be doers & not just hearers.
It is a great reminder for myself and for others as well that doing God’s will is actually doing it out from our hearts in response to Him by the power of His Holy Spirit. In the journey of faith to become Christlike, I’ve struggled & failed countless times, so I need the help of Holy Spirit, in the Lord’s prayer, it is modeled that we all need our Father in heaven to help us. Let this not be an accusation but an encouragement that we all need help & it’s a process of God’s workmanship, so don’t give up even when we failed or made a mistake, the key is to continue to trust in God, put our faith in Him & build a genuine relationship with Him.