Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. —Matthew 7:12
We quote this verse a lot and single it out. However, have you ever slowed down and read the eleven verses leading up to this verse? It starts off with:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Why? Because the same judement you give out will return to you.
Why are we fixated on the mote in our brother’s eye when we don’t consider the beam in our own?
Matthew calls this person a hypocrite. Cast out the beam from your own eye to see clearly that you might cast the mote out of your brother’s eye.
Give not that which is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine. Why did Matthew say this? Because hogs and dogs don’t know the difference in the value of sand, stone, pearl, or diamond.
Then Matthew tells us to ask, knock, and seek. If we do this, there is a law that God said it would be given, opened, and found (whatever we are in search of.)
Then he tells us how much God wants to give us good gifts.
How we want men to treat us is the way we should treat them. Can we do one thing as this year begins? Can we reflect and ask ourselves how did we use our judgment? How fixated were we with everybody else’s shortcomings instead of our own? What did we do with the holy things and pearls God gave us?
Have we truly asked, knocked, and sought at Heaven’s door before we handed out gifts to those around us. Have we truly treated others with the kindness, respect, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness like we would want handed out to us?
Our prayer for you this week: May we ask God to forgive us and others for our actions toward God and them, that it may not return upon us and ours.
