JUDGING AND JUDGEMENT Series on Sermon on the Mount Matt 7:1-5

Introduction Relevant, important & common Sometimes misinterpreted & misapplied Relationships with one another in the church ◦ Spiritually (faith) ◦ Sociologically

Mat 7:1-5 Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you again. And why do you look on the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the splinter out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to cast the splinter out of your brother's eye.

Putting it in another way Judging others will cause you to be judged by others. Because you will be Convicted by the same faults that you convict others Treated in in the same manner you have treated others

What is judging? To grumble, to complain, to putdown others Improper criticism of one’s faith or practice of faith (Rom 14)

Who is judging whom? Person who is judging: you/us Person being judged: your/our brother The just judge: God The unjust judge: you/us The evidence that convicts: Violation of your own judgement, perhaps greater.

Speck and Beam in the Eye Jesus’s exaggerative example Speck – a small wood chip, barely visible Beam – a large piece of lumber Eye sees

Hypocrisy Keen on uncovering the deficiencies in others, however small While calling out others on their faults, not willing to examine and confront one’s own faults Having a double standard, giving one’s self a pass Elevate himself by means of judging (or put down) others Asserting moral authority when there is none

Application: Being on time Am I Judging? Have I been judged by my own judgement before? Am I a hypocrite? ◦ Doubles standard Is there a beam in my eye? ◦ Have I self-reviewed? ◦ Given considerations to other?

James’ Exhortation Do not speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against his brother, and who judges his brother, speaks against the Law and judges the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law, but a judge. (12) There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you who judges another? Jas 4:11-12 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. Jas 5:9

Apostle Paul’s Exhortation Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, (13) bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (14) And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Col 3:12-14

Disambiguation 有關論斷的消歧 Judging is different from evaluating ◦ 論斷與評估、鑒定不同 Judging in this text is NOT on whether Christians may be judges.

Conclusion Judging is both spiritual and sociological issue Have love in correcting others Beware of our own spiritual arrogance “So then let us pursue the things of peace, and the things for building up one another.” Rom 14:19