Seeds for 06/30/2023 - Matthew 7:21-23
Scripture: 21 “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 who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Observation: Let’s zoom out to get the context for our text today. Sometimes in reading and studying our Bibles we chop up the passages and forget to read them seamlessly as if the headings aren’t there. That can lead to confusion.
Like adjusting my glasses, backing up and reminding myself of the flow of Jesus’ teaching helps me see it more clearly.
Our context is Jesus’ instruction to “enter through the narrow gate” (verse 13). Also, pay close attention for false prophets by looking at the fruit of their lives, not just listening for the attractiveness of the words coming out of their mouths (verse 20).
What’s at stake? Entering the kingdom of heaven.
What do we observe the people doing in the scenario Jesus describes? Talking. They are saying, “Lord, Lord” at the beginning. Next, Jesus says they will say, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and… drive our demons and… perform many miracles?” It’s not clear that they did, only that they claim to have done so.
Who do we observe being welcomed to enter the kingdom of heaven? “Only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus has been pretty interested in teaching, praying, and urging obedience to the Father’s will. He doesn’t come “to abolish the Law or the Prophets… but to fulfill them” (5:17). He doesn’t come to lower the standard but to raise our obedience. He teaches the Father’s will regarding enemies, spiritual disciplines, prayer, forgiveness, money, worry, and being judgmental. In all of this, Jesus never indicates that these are suggestions.
The life of discipleship is not about talk, it’s about transformation, and that requires obedience.
Perhaps James (the brother of Jesus and a key leader in the early church) had this in mind when he emphasized that faith without works is dead. The two go hand-in-hand.
What is faith but trust in Jesus? If we trust His grace to reconcile us to God but are all talk when it comes to following His teaching, that’s an incomplete faith. We should trust His Word about how to live as well.
James, again, puts it this way: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Application:
What teachings of Jesus are easier for you to put into practice?
What teachings of Jesus do you find harder to put into practice?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, give me a desire not only to know your Word but to live it out daily. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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