Recently, I have been contemplating Matthew 7 with the guidance of Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship. To start at the end, we get the parable of the person building their house on the sand and the one building their house on the rock.

‭Matthew 7:24-27 NRSV‬
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.24-27.NRSV

In a way, it rounds off this whole section of teachings, but for me, it refers quite closely to the way through Chaperer 7.

The chapter begins by warning us not to judge others.

‭Matthew 7:1-2 NRSV‬
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.1-2.NRSV

Bonhoeffer reminds us that the story of original sin was to pick fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To believe ourselves to be the judge is not right as the place of judgement is the cross, and judgment is rightfully the Lord’s. We are to look on Jesus and see all else in relation to his love for all. We are not to judge but to love.

And then this peculiare saying;

‭Matthew 7:6 NRSV‬
“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.6.NRSV

Apt, in that through judging, we profane the holy; we despoil the revelation of truth that opens our eyes to the right way by misapplication of the truth spoken to us to others. In order to speak, we need to be humbled by the realisation of our own needs, else the measure we get hurts.

Jesus says;

‭Matthew 7:7 NRSV‬
“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.7.NRSV

We move from judgement to trust. It is in our hearts to be right. In speaking our own righteousness, we get hurt. The true path is prayer, and with our creator, we can intercede creatively and be transformed and sustained and see things change.

The movement continues laying aside our desire to judge, to love prayerfully and compassionately with kindness.

‭Matthew 7:12 NRSV‬
“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.12.NRSV

It’s how we are that leads others to a better way, not our judgement. That way leads only to violence, which is a wide path.

‭Matthew 7:13-14 NRSV‬
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.13-14.NRSV

And here Jesus makes it plain. Only the few will be able to hear this. We are called to be of the few. It is in the twos and threes that Jesus is present. The body of Christ is made up of the few, a community of small communities gathered around Christ. Jesus knows what is in people’s hearts, and Bonhoeffer refers us back to the temptation Jesus experienced in the dessert, to be popular, one leading many.

‭Matthew 7:15-16 NRSV‬
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.15-16.NRSV

The temptations of being popular, gathered around strong leadership, have left thousands on the wrong side of the truth. It’s not the Law and the Prophets that lead us to God. This is death. Encountering Christ leads us to the Law and the Prophets, schooling us in love and opening our eyes to our own pride and arrogance, bringing life. We preach to those we love.

‭Matthew 7:21 NRSV‬
“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.

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.7.21.NRSV

Our distinctive, Jesus teaches, is to love as Jesus loves, self sacrificially and without coercion. If we find ourselves distinct because of our judgement of others then however successful we may appear, we are wrong.

It’s a hard saying, and we are back to where we started; all these sayings are the foundation we build on for the day of trouble. To end at the start, Jesus, before he embarked on this section of teaching, said,

‭Matthew 6:34 NRSV‬
[34] “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

https://bible.com/bible/2016/mat.6.34.NRSV