God and Your Neighbor - Pastor Dave Klassen

The journey through the Sermon on the Mount brings us to a crucial teaching in Matthew 7:1-11, where Jesus addresses the theme of judgment and discernment. The call is not to abandon all evaluation or to live passively in the world, but to approach others with humility, self-awareness, and a deep sense of our own need for grace. Jesus warns against the hypocrisy of judging others while ignoring our own faults, using the vivid image of a log in our own eye compared to a speck in someone else’s. This is a call to honest self-examination and to deal with our own shortcomings before attempting to help others.

Yet, Jesus does not command us to be blind or naïve. He instructs us to discern—to recognize what is holy and to be wise about with whom we share the treasures of the faith. This discernment is not about condemnation, but about loving others well, protecting what is sacred, and refusing to participate in what is wrong. The balance is found in holding truth and love together: we are to test the spirits, to renew our minds, and to reject what is evil, but always with a spirit of compassion rather than superiority.

Jesus’ own example with Pilate and Herod shows us how to respond differently based on the openness of a person’s heart. With those who are genuine, even if they do not yet believe, we engage honestly. With those who are hardened and mocking, we do not cast what is holy before them. This is wisdom in action, guided by the Spirit.

Finally, Jesus turns our attention to the heart of the Father. We are invited to ask, seek, and knock, trusting that God is a loving Father who delights to give good gifts to His children. The challenge is to see God not only as a distant authority but as our “Daddy”—one who cares deeply, who never makes mistakes, and who desires a close, trusting relationship with us. Even when we do not understand His ways, we are called to trust in His perfect wisdom and love, knowing that He is always working for our good.