Matthew 7:16–29

¹⁶You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briars do not bear figs. ¹⁷A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit. ^19*And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. ^20*So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.

I Never Knew You

²¹“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. ²²When Judgement Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ ^23*Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’

The Two House Builders

²⁴“So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.

²⁶“But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, the wind blew hard against that house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!”

The Authority of Jesus

^28*When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowd was amazed at the way he taught. ^29*He wasn’t like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority.