1“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
7“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
13“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it. 14How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it.
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 16By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 18A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 19Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ 23Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
24“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. 25The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great.”
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, 29for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
In the time of Malachi the prophet, the priests had “corrupted” the ministry entrusted to them (Mal 2:1-9). They offered blemished sacrifices on behalf of the people (Mal 1:6-14), although they had ample instruction not to do so (Lev 22:17-25; Deut 15:21). They refused to teach the people the word of God, the fear of God, repentance toward God, and walking with God (Mal 2:5-7). They showed “partiality in the instruction,” meaning that they taught the parts of Scripture they wanted and ignored other parts (2:8-9). Men divorced their wives and married others who worshiped foreign gods (2:10-16). The people practiced sorcery, adultery, false oaths, and oppression (3:5). They also robbed the Lord by withholding tithes and contributions (3:8-12).
As a result, the priests and the people did not trust the love of God (1:2), challenged the prophet whether they actually despised and defiled the name of the LORD (1:6-7, 12-13), received a curse from God (2:2; 3:10-12), questioned the justice of God (2:17), and asserted that it was vain to serve God (3:14).
Jesus and His apostles taught similarly of the dangers that ministers can bring on themselves and on those who follow them. He said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matt 7:13-23),” and, “they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit (Matt 15:14; see also Matthew 23).” Peter warned, “There will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves (2 Peter 2:1).” Because of the gravity of the office of teacher, James also admonished us, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment (James 3:1).” For further study, consult Jer 23-29, Ezek 13 and 34, and Acts 20:17-38.