ADVICE FOR LIFE (series) TO JUDGE OR NOT TO JUDGE MATTHEW 7:1-5

“Judge not, that you be not judged “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your bother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye.’ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

MAIN IDEA: JUDGING OTHERS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER AND WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR OUR OWN JUDGMENT BY OTHERS!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO JUDGE ANOTHER PERSON? QUESTION: Is Jesus telling us we should never make a judgment about anyone or anything at any time? (Do not judge, lest you be judged.)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO JUDGE? QUESTION: Is Jesus saying – ‘don’t judge others by a different standard then you judge yourselves?’ (“You hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye) vs. 5

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO JUDGE? QUESTION: Is Jesus saying, don’t pronounce guilt and condemnation on others? HOW ARE WE TO KNOW WHAT JESUS IS REALLY SAYING?

WHAT DOES THE WORD “TO JUDGE” MEAN? “To make a distinction between two things” “To provide an opinion” “To assign guilt and punishment” “To condemn” “To make an exact measurement” “To call into question”

WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID, “JUDGE NOT”? The meaning of a word with different meanings is often determined by the context in which it is used! WHAT WAS THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE DAY? (Jewish culture of 613 laws which each had its own additional laws of application – or what one had to do or not do in order to keep the 613 laws of the Jewish Torah)

II. WHY IS IT WRONG TO JUDGE (CONDEMN) OTHERS? REASON #1: BECAUSE WE ARE COMMANDED BY OUR LORD NOT TO DO SO!

REASON #2: BECAUSE WE OURSELVES ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO MAKE SUCH JUDGMENTS A. WE ARE NOT PERFECT (we have planks in our own eye) B. WE DON’T KNOW ALL THE FACTS (we can’t see clearly because of our own plank(s)

REASON #3: WHEN WE JUDGE (CONDEMN) OTHERS, WE DISCOUNT THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE POWER OF GOD IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS! THE GRACE OF GOD: forgives a life! THE POWER OF GOD: changes a life!

“THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD IN THE WORST OF US – AND THERE IS SO MUCH BAD IN THE BEST OF US – THAT IT HARDLY BEHOOVES ANY OF US- TO TALK ABOUT THE REST OF US!”

III. WHAT ADVICE DOES JESUS GIVE TO US ABOUT NOT JUDGING OTHERS? FIRST: TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN LIFE BEFORE WE ARE CONCERNED AOBUT SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE! “REMOVE THE PLANK IN YOUR OWN EYE” VS. 5

SECOND: UNLESS YOU CAN REACH PERFECTION, YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO JUDGE OTHERS!

THIRD: RECOGNIZE THAT WE WILL BE JUDGED BY THE SAME CRITERIA OR STANDARD BY WHICH WE JUDGE OTHERS!

“Don’t find fault with a man who limps or stumbles along the road or struggles beneath his load Unless you have worn the very shoes he wears For there may be tacks in those shoes that hurt even though hidden from your view For the burden he bears, if place on your back Might cause you to stumble too.

Don’t sneer at the man who is down today Unless you have felt the blow that caused his fall, or felt the shame That only the fallen know. You may be strong, but still the blows That were his, if dealt to you, In the self same way at the self same time Might cause you to stagger too.

So don’t be too harsh with a man who sins Or pelt him with words or stones Unless you are sure, yes doubly sure That you have no sins of your own. For you know, perhaps, if the tempters voice Would whisper as soft to you, As it did to him when he went astray Would cause you to falter too.

TRUTH TO LIVE BY #1. AS BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST, WE MUST NOT BE JUDGMENTAL AND CONDEMNING OF OTHERS – BUT, WE MUST BE DISCERNING AND COMMITTED TO SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE!

#2. EACH ONE OF US HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT ONLY JUDGE OURSELVES, BUT TO FIX WITHIN US WHAT IS NOT RIGHT.