A Simple Guide for Behavior

1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

“Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege.

7-11 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

12 “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

Being and Doing

13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

15-20 “Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.

21-23 “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our super-spiritual projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

24-25 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

26-27 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

28-29 When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.

Judging Others(A)

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.(B) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.(C)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock(D)

“Ask and it will be given to you;(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts(G) to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(I)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(J) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

15 “Watch out for false prophets.(K) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(L) 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.(M) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?(N) 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(O) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(P) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(Q) will enter the kingdom of heaven,(R) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(S) 22 Many will say to me on that day,(T) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’(U) 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’(V)

The Wise and Foolish Builders(W)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(X) 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, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish 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.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(Y) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,(Z) 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

No juzgar a la ligera (Lc 6,37-38.41-42)

No juzguen a nadie, para que Dios no los juzgue a ustedes. Porque del mismo modo que juzguen a los demás, los juzgará Dios a ustedes, y los medirá con la misma medida con que ustedes midan a los demás. ¿Por qué miras la brizna que tiene tu hermano en su ojo y no te fijas en el tronco que tienes en el tuyo? ¿Cómo podrás decirle a tu hermano: “Deja que te saque la brizna que tienes en el ojo”, cuando tienes un tronco en el tuyo? ¡Hipócrita! Saca primero el tronco de tu ojo, y entonces podrás ver con claridad para sacar la brizna del ojo de tu hermano.

No entreguen las cosas sagradas a los perros, ni echen sus perlas a los cerdos, pues las pisotearán y, revolviéndose, los harán pedazos a ustedes.

Orar con confianza (Lc 11,9-13)

Pidan, y Dios los atenderá; busquen, y encontrarán; llamen, y Dios les abrirá la puerta. Pues todo el que pide, recibe, y el que busca, encuentra, y al que llama, Dios le abrirá la puerta. ¿Quién de ustedes, si su hijo le pide pan, le dará una piedra? 10 ¿O si le pide pescado, le dará una serpiente? 11 Pues si ustedes, que son malos, saben dar cosas buenas a sus hijos, ¡cuánto más el Padre que está en los cielos se las dará también a quienes se las pidan!

La regla de oro (Lc 6,31)

12 Pórtense en todo con los demás como quieren que los demás se porten con ustedes. ¡En esto consisten la ley de Moisés y las enseñanzas de los profetas!

Dos puertas y dos caminos (Lc 13,24)

13 Entren por la puerta estrecha. La puerta que conduce a la perdición es ancha, y el camino fácil, y muchos son los que pasan por ellos. 14 En cambio, es estrecha la puerta y angosto el camino que llevan a la vida, y son pocos los que los encuentran.

Los falsos profetas (Lc 6,43-44)

15 Tengan cuidado con los falsos profetas. Se acercan a ustedes haciéndose pasar por ovejas, cuando en realidad son lobos feroces. 16 Por sus frutos los conocerán, pues no pueden recogerse uvas de los espinos, ni higos de los cardos. 17 Todo árbol sano da buenos frutos, mientras que el árbol enfermo da frutos malos. 18 Por el contrario, el árbol sano no puede dar fruto malo, como tampoco puede dar buen fruto el árbol enfermo. 19 Los árboles que dan mal fruto se cortan y se hace una hoguera con ellos. 20 Así pues, también ustedes conocerán a los falsos profetas por sus frutos.

Entrar o no entrar en el reino de los cielos (Lc 6,46; 13,25-27)

21 No todos los que dicen: “Señor, Señor” entrarán en el reino de los cielos, sino los que hacen la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos. 22 Muchos me dirán en el día del juicio: “Señor, Señor, mira que en tu nombre hemos anunciado el mensaje de Dios, y en tu nombre hemos expulsado demonios, y en tu nombre hemos hecho muchos milagros”. 23 Pero yo les contestaré: “Ustedes me son totalmente desconocidos. ¡Apártense de mí, pues se han pasado la vida haciendo el mal!”.

Parábola de los dos cimientos (Lc 6,47-49)

24 Todo aquel que escucha mis palabras y obra en consecuencia, puede compararse a una persona sensata que construyó su casa sobre un cimiento de roca viva. 25 Vinieron las lluvias, se desbordaron los ríos y los vientos soplaron violentamente contra la casa; pero no cayó, porque estaba construida sobre un cimiento de roca viva. 26 En cambio, todo aquel que escucha mis palabras, pero no obra en consecuencia, puede compararse a una persona necia que construyó su casa sobre un terreno arenoso. 27 Vinieron las lluvias, se desbordaron los ríos y los vientos soplaron violentamente contra la casa que se hundió terminando en ruina total.

Conclusión del discurso

28 Cuando Jesús terminó este discurso, la gente estaba profundamente impresionada por sus enseñanzas, 29 porque los enseñaba con verdadera autoridad y no como los maestros de la ley.

Do Not Judge(A)

“Judge[a] (B)not, that you be not judged. For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; (C)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (D)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

(E)“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking(F)

(G)“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For (H)everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (I)Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, (J)being 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! 12 Therefore, (K)whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for (L)this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Way(M)

13 (N)“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [c]Because narrow is the gate and [d]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits(O)

15 (P)“Beware of false prophets, (Q)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 (R)You will know them by their fruits. (S)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, (T)every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 (U)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You(V)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, (W)‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who (X)does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we (Y)not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And (Z)then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (AA)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock(AB)

24 “Therefore (AC)whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that (AD)the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 (AE)for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 7:1 Condemn
  2. Matthew 7:2 Condemnation
  3. Matthew 7:14 NU, M How narrow . . . !
  4. Matthew 7:14 confined