Verse For Today

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Mt 6:19 ¶ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;


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Observe here, 1.  Something implied; namely, that every man has his treasure; and whatsoever or wheresover that treasure is, it is attractive, and draws the heart of men unto it: for every man's treasure is his chief good.
 
2.  Something permitted, namely, the getting, possessing, and enjoying, of earthly treasure, as an instrument of doing much good.
 
3.  Something prohibited; and that is, the treasuring up of worldly wealth as our chief treasure;  Lay not up treasure on earth; that is, take heed of an inordinate affection to, of an excessive pursuit after, of a vain confidence and trust in, any earthly comfort, as you chief treasure.
 
4.  Here is something commanded; But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven: treasure up those habits of grace which will bring you to an inheritance in glory; be fruitful in good works, laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that ye may lay hold of eternal life.
 
Observe, 5.  The reason assigned, 1.  Why we should not lay up our treasures on earth; because, all earthly treasures are of a perishing and uncertain nature, that they are subjct to moth and rust, to robbery and theft; the perishing nature of earthly things ought to be improved by us, as an argument to sit loose in our affections towards them.
 
2.  The reason assigned, why we should lay up our treasures in heaven, is this; because, heavenly treasures are subject to no such accidents and casualties as earthly treasures are, but are durable and lasting.
 
  The things that are not seen, are eternal.  The treasures of heaven are involable, incorruptible, and everlasting.  Now we may know whether we have chosen these things for our treasure, by our high estimation of the worth of them, by our sensible apprehension of the want of them, by the torrent and tendency of our affection towards them, and by our laborious diligence and endeavours in the pursuit of them. Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also.

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Mt 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

Mt 6:23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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In the foregoing verses, our Saviour acquainted us what in our affections and judgments we should esteem as our chief treasure: now this judgment concerning our chief treasure, is by our Saviour here compared to the eye; as the eye is the candle of the body, that enlightens and directs it, so our understanding and judgment of the excellency of heaven, and the things above, will draw our affections towards them, and quicken our endeavours after them.
 
Note thence, that such as our judgment is concerning happiness, such will our desires and endeavours be for the attainment of that happiness.  Our affections are guided by our apprehensions; where the esteem is high, endeavours will be strong.

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 Ver. 22,23. You had need look to your hearts, your understanding, judgment, and affections; for look what proportion there is betwixt your bodily eye and the rest of the bodily members, with regard to their guidance and conduct, the same proportion there is betwixt your heart and whole conversation, with reference to the guidance of it with relation to God. The eye is the window by which the soul looks out to guide the body; if that be not impaired by the defluxion of humours, &c., but be single, it directs all the motions of the body right; but if that be defective, or any way impaired, the whole body is at a loss how to move safely, and with advantage to it. So if your hearts be set right, if you have a right and sound judgment, a true and sanctified affection, they will influence and guide all your actions, your whole conversation will be regular and holy: but if that inward eye be evil, through covetousness, too much adherence to the earth, or through envy, (both which are called evil eyes in Scripture), or through the prevalence of any other lusts or passions, your darkness will be exceeding great, you will not be able to set one step right; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, and according to the dictates and affections of the heart the hand and the whole man acts.

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Mt 6:25 ¶ "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

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The next sin which our Saviour cautions his disciples against, is immoderate care for the things of this life, such a solicitous and vexatious care for food and raiment as is accompanied with diffidence and distrust of God's fatherly providence over us, and provision for us; and the arguments which our Saviour uses to dissuade from this sin, are many and cogent, laid down in the following verses.
 
Learn here, 1.  That Almighty God will provide for every servant of his, food and raiment, and a competency of the comforts and conveniencies of life.
 
Learn, 2.  That want of faith in God'd promise, and a distrust of his fatherly care, is a God-provoking and wrath-procuring sin.
 
Learn, 3.  That notwithstanding God's promise to supply our wants, we not only may, but must, use such prudential and provident means as are in our own wants.  Dr. Hammond's Pract. Catech.

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Mt 6:27 "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

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Four arguments are here used by our Saviour to dissuade us from the sin of anxious care; it is needless, it is fruitless, it is heathenish, it is brutish.
 
1.  It is needless;  Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things, and will certainly provide for you; and what need you take care and God too?
 
2.  It is fruitless; Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit his stature? that is, by all our solictous care, we can add nothing either to the length or comfort of our lives.
 
3.  It is heathenish; After all these things do the Gentiles seek.
 
4.  It is brutish; nay, worse than brutish: the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field, are fed by God; much more shall his children. Has not God a breakfast for every beast in the wilderness, that comes leaping out of its den? and will he not much more provide for you, O ye of little faith?  Surely he that feeds the ravens when they cry, will not starve his children when they pray.
 
Naturalists observe of the raven, that she exposes her young ones as soon as they are hatched, leaves them meatless and featherless, to shift and struggle with hunger as soon as they come into the world; and whether by the dew from heaven, or flies or worms, God feedeth them; when they gape and cry, they are provided for: from whence our Saviour infers, that man being much better, that is, a more considerable creature than the fowls, the providence of God will provide for him, though no solicitude and anxious thoughtfulness of his contributes thereunto.

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Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

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That is, let your first and chief care be to promote the kingdom of grace in this world, and to secure the kingdom of glory in the next; and in order unto both, seek after an universal holiness and righteousness, both of heart and life, and then fear not the want of these outward comforts, they shall be added in measure, though not to satiate; for health, though not for surfeit.
 
Observe, 1.  That Christians must here on earth set themselves to seek heaven or the kingdom of God.
 
2. That God's kingdom cannot be sought without God;s righteousness: holiness is the only way to happiness.
 
3.  That heaven, or the kingdom of God, must be sought in the first place, with our chief care and principal endeavour.
 
4.  That heaven being once secured by us, all earthly things will be superadded by God, as he sees needful and convenient for us.

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Mt 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

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Here our Saviour re-inforces his exhortation from solicitous care for worldly things, assuring us, that every day will bring with it a sufficient burden of trouble, and therefore we ought not to torment ourselves, by antedating our own sorrows, and foretelling what may or may not come to pass.
 
Learn, That it is a painful sinful and unprofitable evil, to perplex ourselves with distrustful and distracting fears of what may come upon us: every day has its own duty and difficulty; and though sufferings must be expected and prepared for, yet we must not torment ourselves to-day with fears of what may be tomorrow; but every day cast our burden of care upon that God who daily careth for us.

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Mt 7:1 ¶ "Judge not, that you be not judged.

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Observe here, The prohibition, and the reason of that prohibition.  Judge not, this is not meant of ourselves, but of our neighbour.
 
Self-judging is a great duty; judging others a grievous sin; yet is not all judging of others condemned, but a judging of our neighbour's state or person rashly and rigidly, censoriously and uncharitably: especially unrighteously and unjustly.  And the reason of the prohibition is added; if we judge others rashly, God will judge us righteously.
 
Learn thence, That a rash and censorious judging of others, renders a person liable and obnoxious to the righteous judgment of God.
 
Note farther, That Christ doth not here forbid judicial judging by the civil magistrate, nor ecclesiastical judging by the church governors, whose office gives them authority so to do.  Nor does he forbid one Christian to pass a judgment on the notorious actions of another, seeing the duty of reproof cannot be performed without it; but it is such a rash and censorious judging our brother, as is void of charity towards him, as is accompanied with contempt of him, especially if we have been guilty of the same or greater sins before him.

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Mt 7:3 "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

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By  the mote in our brother's eye, is to be understood small and little sins, or some supposed sins: by the beam in our own eye, is meant some notorious sin of our own.
 
Learn, 1.  That those who are most censorious of the lesser infirmities of others, are usually most notoriously guilty of far greater failings themselves.
 
2.  That those who desire others should look upon their infirmities with a compassionate eye, must not look upon the failings of others with a censorious eye.
 
3.  That there is no such way to teach us charity in judging others, as to exercise severity in judging ourselves.

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Mt 7:7 ¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

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Observe here, a precept and a promise; the precept, or duty commanded, is importunity and constancy in prayer, we must  ask, seek, and knock; the promise, or mercy indured,, is audience and acceptance with God.
 
Note, 1.  That man, is a poor, indigent, and necessitous creature, full of wants, but unable to supply them.
 
2.  That God is an all-sufficient good, able to supply the wants and to relieve the necessities of his creatures, if they call upon him, and cry unto him.
 
3.  Yet if we do not presently receive what we ask, we must still continue to seek and knock; though prayer be not always answered in our time, yet it shall never fail of an answer in God's time.
 
4.  That natural propensity which we find in our breasts to hear the desires and to supply the wants of our own children, ought to raise in us a confident expectation, that Almighty God will hear our prayers, and supply our wants, when we call upon him: if a father will give when a child asks, much more will God.  If ye being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, &c. God loves to be giving and to give good gifts is his delight.
 
But prayer is the key that opens both his heart and hand: yet not every person nor every prayer shall find acceptance with God: the person praying must be a doer of God's will, and the manner of our prayer must be in faith, and with fervency, and unfeigned perseverance.

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Mt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

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Observe here, 1.  That every man is a traveller in a certain way.
 
2.  That there are but two ways in which the race of mankind can travel;
 
the one strait and narrow, that leads to life and salvation;
 
the other broad and wide, which leads to hell and destruction.
 
3.  That because of the difficulties in the way to salvation, and the easiness of the way to hell and destruction, hence it is that so few walk in the one, and so many in the other.
 
4.  That Christians having the strait way to heaven revealed to them, in and by the word of God, should choose rather to go in that way alone to life, that to run with the multititude in the road way which leads down to the chambers of death and hell.
 
5.  That the metaphor of a gate denotes our first entrance into a religious course of life, and its being strait denotes the difficulty that attends religion at first; evil habits to be put off, old companions in sin to be parted with; but when faith and patience have once smoothed our way, love will make our work delightful to us.

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Mt 7:15 ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

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Observe here, 1.  A caution given,  Beware of false prophets.  There were two sorts of deceivers which our Saviour gave his disciples a special warning of; namely false Christs and false prophets: false Christs were such as pretended to be the true Messiahs; false prophets were such as pretended to own Christianity, but drew people away from the simplicity of the gospel.
 
Observe, 2.  The ground of this caution: They come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves; that is, they make fair pretences to strictness in religion, and to greater measures and degrees of mortification and self-denial than others.
 
Whence we learn, That such who go about to seduce others, usually pretend to extraordinary measures of sanctity themselves, to raise an admiration among those who judge of saints more by their looks than by their lives; more by their expressions than by their actions.  What heavenly looks and devout gestures, what long prayers and frequent fastings had the hypocritical Pharisees, beyond what Christ or his disciples ever practised!
 
Observe, 3.  The rule laid down by Christ, whereby we are to judge of false teachers; by their fruits ye shall know them.
 
Learn, That the best course we can take to judge of teachers pretending to be sent of God, is to examine the design and tendency of their doctrines, and the course and tenor of their conversations.  Good teachers, like good trees, will bring forth the good fruits of truth and holiness; but evil men and seducers, like corrupt trees, will bring forth error and wickedness in their life and doctrine.

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Mt 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

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Not every one; that is, Not any one that saith Lord, Lord, that is, that owneth me by way of profession, by way of prayer, and by way of appeal, shall be saved; But he that doeth the will of my Father sincerely and universally.
 
Learn hence, 1.  That multitude at the great day shall be really disowned  by Christ, as none of his servants, that did nominately own him for their Lord and Master: many that have now prophesied in his name, shall then perish in his wrath: many that have cast out devils now, shall be cast out to devils then: such as have now done many wonderful works, shall then perish for evil workers.
 
Note, 2. That a bare name and profession of Christianity, without the practice of it, is a very insufficient ground to build our hopes of heaven and salvation upon.  A profession of faith and purposes of obedience, without actual obedience to the commands of God, will avail no person to salvation.
 
3.  That gifts, eminent gifts, yea extraordinary and miraculous gifts, are not to be rested in or depended upon as sufficient evidences for heaven and salvation.  Gifts are as the gold which adorns the temple, but grace is like the temple that sanctifies the gold.

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Mt 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

Mt 7:25 "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.

Mt 7:26 "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:

Mt 7:27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

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Christ here speaks of two houses, the one built upon a rock, the other on the sand; these two houses were alike skilfully and strongly built to outward appearance; while the sun shone and the weather was fair, none could discern but that the house upon the sand was built as well, and might stand as long, as that on the rock; but when the rain fell the foundation failed.
 
Thus, where is the hypocrite with all his faith and fear, with all his shew and appearance of grace, in a wet and windy day?  His goodly outside is like the apples of Sodom, fair and alluring to the eye, being touched, instantly evaporate into dust and smoke.  A hypocrite stands in grace no longer than till he falls into trouble; and accordingly our Saviour here concludes his excellent sermon with an elegant similitude.
 
The wise builder is not the frequent hearer, but the faithful doer of the word, or the obedient Christian; the house is heaven, and the hope of eternal life; the rock is Christ; the  building upon the sand, is rested in the rare performance of outward duties: the rains, the winds, and the floods, are all kinds of afflicting evils, sufferings, and persecutions, that may befall us.
 
Note, 1.  That the obedient believer is the only wise man, that builds his hope of heaven upon a sure and abiding foundation.
 
Note, 2.  That such professors as rest in the outward performances of holy duties, are foolish builders, their foundation is weak and sandy, and all their hopes of salvation vain and uncertain.  An outward profession of Christianity, though set off by prophesying and doing miracles, will not avail any man towards his account at the great day, without that real and faithful, that universal and impartial, obedience to the laws of Christ which the gospel requires.

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Mt 7:28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,

Mt 7:29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

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Here we have two things observable, 1.  The manner of our Lord's teaching, it was  with authority: that is, it was grave and serious, pious and ardent, plain and profitable.  With what brevity, without darkness! with what gravity, without affectation! with what eloquence, without meretricious ornament, were our Lord's discourses! The majesty he shewed in his sermons, made it evidently appear, that he was a teacher sent of God, and clothed with his authority.
 
Observe, 2.  The success of his teaching: The people were astonished at his doctrine; affected with admiration, believing him to be an extraordinary prophet.
 
Learn, That such is the power of Christ's doctrine, when accompanied with the energy of the Holy Spirit, that it makes all auditors admirers, yea, believers; it causes astonishment in their minds, and reformation in their manners.

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Mt 8:5 ¶ Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,

Mt 8:6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."

Mt 8:7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."

Mt 8:8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

Mt 8:9 "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Mt 8:10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!


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The second miracle our Saviour works in this chapter, is the healing of the centurion's servant.
 
Where Observe, 1.  The person that applies to our Saviour for help and healing: he was a Gentile, an heathen, a Roman soldier, an officer or commander; yet he believes in, and relies upon the power of Christ.
 
Note, That such is the freeness of divine grace, that it extends itself to all sorts and ranks, to all orders and degrees of men, without exception.  Even the bloody trade of war yields worthy clients to Christ: he doth not so much regard who we are, and with what dispositions and inclinations we come unto him.
 
Observe, 2.  The person whom the centurion comes to Christ for; not for himself, not for his son, but for his servant.   His servant is sick, he doth not drive him out of doors, nor stand gazing by his bed-side, but looks out for relief for him: a worthy example!  Some masters have not so much regard to their sick servants as they gave to their oxen or their swine: but he is not worthy of a good servant, that in a time of sickness is not willing to serve his servant.  A conceit of superiority must beget in no man a neglect of charitable offices towards inferiors.
 
Observe, 3.  Upon whom the centurion seeks, and with what zeal and application: he seeks not to wizards and conjurors, but to the physician, for his poor servant; yea, to Christ, the best physician; and this not with a formal relation in his mouth, but with a vehement aggravation of of the disease;  My servant is grievously tormented: where the master's condolency and tender sympathy with his afflicted servant, is both matter of commendation and imitation also.
 
Observe, 4.  The happy mixture of humility and faith which was found in the centurion; he owns his unworthiness of having Christ come under his roof, yet he acknowledged Christ's power, that by speaking of a word his servant might be healed by him.  Humility is both the fruit of faith, and the companion of faith; an humble soul has an high esteem of Christ, and a low esteem of himself.
 
Observe, 5.  How our blessed Saviour exceeds both his desires and expectations; Christ says, not only will I heal him, but, I will come and heal him: Wonderful condescension!
 
In Joh 4:47 we read of a certain nobleman and ruler that twice entreated our Saviour to come to his house and heal his son, but our Lord refused, and did not stir a foot: here the centurion doth but barely tell Christ of his poor servant's sickness, and Christ, both unmasked and undesired, says, I will come and heal him.
 
O how far was Christ from seeming in the least to honour riches and despise poverty! He that came in the form of a servant, goes down and visits a sick servant upon his poor pallet-bed, that would not visit the rich couch of the ruler's son.  How should we stoop to the lowest offices of love and kindness to one another, when Christ thus condescendingly abased himself before us!
 
Observe, 6.  The notice and observation which our Saviour takes of the centurion's faith; he wondered at it from him, who had wrought it in him.  Christ wrought this faith as God, and wondered at it as man; what can be more wonderful than to see Christ wonder?  We do not find our Saviour wondering at worldly pomp and greatness.  When the disciples wondered at the magnificence of the temple, Christ rather rebuked them, than wondered with them; but when he sees the gracious acts of faith, he is ravished with wonder.
 
Let it teach us to place our admiration where Christ fixes his:  let us be more affected with the least measure of grace in a good man, than with all the gaieties and glory of a great man; let us not envy the one, but admire the other.