“Don’t judge,” said Jesus, “or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you’ll be judged, and with the measure you use, it’ll be measured to you.
“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’s a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you’ll see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
“Don’t give dogs what’s sacred; don’t throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
“Ask and it’ll be given to you; seek and you’ll find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; 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? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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 to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you’d have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate’s wide and the road’s broad that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But the gate’s small and the road’s narrow that leads to life, and only a few find it.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they’re ferocious wolves. By their fruit you’ll recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree can’t bear bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t bear good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you’ll recognize them.
“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’s in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I’ll tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it didn’t fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Matthew
Love Never Dies 