1544 | m a TThew 7:16
fe ro cious wolves . 16 By their fruit you will rec ognize them . Do peo ple pick grapes from thorn bushes , or figs from this tles ? 17 Like wise , ev ery good tree bears good fruit , but a bad tree bears bad fruit . 18 A good tree can not bear bad fruit , and a bad tree can not bear good fruit . 19 Ev ery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire . 20 Thus , by their fruit you will recog nize them .
True and False Disciples
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“ Not ev ery one who says to me , ‘ Lord , Lord ,’ will en ter the king dom of heav en , but only the one who does the will of my Fa ther who is in heav en .
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Many will say to me on that day , ‘ Lord , Lord , did we not proph e sy in your name and in your name drive out de mons and in your name per form many mir a cles ?’ 23 Then I will tell them plain ly , ‘ I nev er knew you . Away from me , you evil do ers !’
The Wise and Foolish Builders
7:24-27pp — Lk 6:47-49 24
“ There fore ev ery one who hears these words of mine and puts them into prac tice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock . 25 The rain came down , the streams rose , and the winds blew and beat against that house ; yet it did not fall , be cause it had its foun da tion on the rock . 26 But ev ery one who hears these words of mine and does not put them into prac tice is like a fool ish man who built his house on sand . 27 The rain came down , the streams rose , and the winds blew and beat against that house , and it fell with a great crash .”
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When Jesus had fin ished say ing these things , the crowds were amazed at his teach ing , 29 be cause he taught as one who had au thor i ty , and not as their teach ers of the law .
Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy
8:2-4pp — Mk 1:40-44 ; Lk 5:12-14
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When Jesus came down from the moun tainside , large crowds fol lowed him . 2 A man with lep ro sy a came and knelt be fore him and said , “ Lord , if you are will ing , you can make me clean .”
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Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man . “ I am will ing ,” he said . “ Be clean !” Im me di
a 2 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin .
contradict his instruction as false prophets — people who falsely claim to speak on God ’ s behalf ( compare 2Pe 2:1 and note ). sheep ’ s clothing Refers to disguises that portray innocence . ferocious wolves Describes those seeking to undermine Jesus ’ teaching for personal gain . 7:16 their fruit Refers to people ’ s deeds — the natural outcomes of their choices and inclinations . grapes from thornbushes , or figs from thistles Images drawn from horticulture would have resonated with Jesus ’ audience ,
Verse-by-verse as first-century Palestine study was primarily an agrarian society . 7:19 thrown into the fire See Mt 3:10 and note .
notes with the unique focus of revealing
7:21 – 23 Jesus continues the theme of false prophets , emphasizing the need for obedience to his teaching .
nuances from the original Biblical 7:21 Not everyone languages who says for to me , ‘ Lord , Lord ’ Those who say this acknowledge Jesus as master . The affirmation that Jesus readers is Lord is meaningless if it is not backed
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by obedience to God ’ s will . my Father See note on 5:16 . 7:22 on that day Refers to the day of judgment ( compare Isa 2:11,17 ; Zec 14:4 – 21 ; Rev 20:11 – 15 ). did we not prophesy in your name The three activities mentioned in this verse are associated with the prophetic office . 7:23 I never knew you Communicates disassociation or estrangement . Away from me , you evildoers A citation of Ps 6:8 .
7:24 – 27 The Sermon on the Mount ends with this parable , which attests to the reliability of Jesus ’ teaching . Wise people hear his words and respond in obedience ; foolish people disregard his words , fail to act according to his teachings and suffer destructive consequences .
7:24 these words of mine Refers to the entire Sermon on the Mount ( Mt 5 – 7 ). puts them into practice Hearing and understanding Jesus ’ teaching is not sufficient ; being his disciple requires action ( compare Jas 1:22 – 25 ). on the rock The builder of this house used bedrock — as opposed to soil or sand — as the foundation .
7:25 streams rose Refers to flash floods . In dry climates like that of Palestine , the ground often could not absorb large amounts of rainwater , resulting in rapid flooding that could produce violent rivers . 7:27 it fell with a great crash Indicates complete destruction — the fate of those who do not heed Jesus ’ teaching . He may be referring to the day of judgment , since this seems to be the focus of Mt 7:21 – 23 .
7:28 – 29 The crowds immediately recognize Jesus ’ authority . He does not interpret or teach based on the interpretation of earlier rabbis , as was the custom ; rather , he speaks prophetically on behalf of God .
7:29 one who had authority See note on Lk 4:32 . teachers of the law See note on Mt 2:4 .
8:1 – 17 In the Sermon on the Mount ( Mt 5 – 7 ), Jesus teaches about the kingdom of heaven ; now he begins to demonstrate it through powerful deeds .
8:2 leprosy This refers to a variety of skin problems that rendered a person ritually unclean ( Lev 13 – 14 ). People with this ailment lived apart from society and often banded together to form semi-quarantined colonies . When they encountered people , lepers were required to shout a warning so that others would not become contaminated . People suffering from leprosy rarely recovered . Lord Many of those who come to Jesus for healing call him “ Lord ” ( kyrios in Greek ). In Greco-Roman society , kyrios was an appropriate title for any superior ( like “ sir ”), but it also could be used to address the emperor , who was considered divine . In the Septuagint ( the Greek translation of the OT ), kyrios occurs about 6,000 times to render the Hebrew text ’ s yhwh ( Yahweh ), the divine name of God . Matthew frequently uses kyrios in reference to Jesus ; the context determines whether the speaker is recognizing Jesus ’ divinity or simply showing respect . 8:3 touched the man Normally , touching a leper would
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