Sermon Notes
Judge Me Not
Introduction
- I wish to pick up from where we left off last week. Last week, I preached on Desiring God. Why it is the purpose of every Christian to live a God-desiring life. And our text was Matthew 6:33 – But nseek first othe kingdom of God and his righteousness, pand all these things will be added to you.
I called it the church’s vision for 2021. - However, the one thing that I do want to caution you is that we often can take phrases such as seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and settle for a very superficial understanding of what that means. We must not do that. We must seek to understand what that means and how we might do it in our lives.
- So for one part I want to point out to you by example how we must do that in our time with the word today.
- We are about to enter in to the final chapter of the sermon on the mount, Matthew chapter 7. Jesus began this great sermon as He sat on a mountain with people gathered around Him, to listen to Him speak. In Jewish tradition, when the Rabbi sat, it meant that he was going to give an official address, unlike our culture today where we stand up when giving an official address.
- And the outcome of Jesus’ sermon, is found in ch7:28 which reads – 28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
- There was no false humility in this Christ, no mixing of words, no pleasing of man, just the plain unadulterated word of God taught with authority. There was a power to Jesus’ words, but a power also in the way He spoke – as one who was sure, without confusion.
- Jesus began with the beatitudes, reclaiming the true blessedness of the child of God. Not only was what Jesus saying radically different from what the Jewish people were being taught by their leaders, Jesus was saying this from the same book of the law and prophets that the Jewish leaders held to.
In other words, this was not new teaching, but a clarification of what was always taught in God’s word. - And from the beatitudes, He addressed personal piety – how true godliness is not merely in outward actions but in the inward disposition of the heart. God who sees us inside-out, expects true piety both in the heart and in the exertions of our life.
- He then addresses, in chapter 6, how the fundamental spiritual disciplines of a child of God are rooted in a genuine love for God, and not for the praise of other men – whether it be prayer, giving, or fasting. That we, unlike the Gentiles (unbelievers) live for heavenly things and not for earthly things.
Our life is a search for God, to know Him more and to desire Him more. - Now, this final chapter of the sermon on the mount deals with interpersonal relationships.
This chapter contains some of the most misquoted verses in the Bible by the world, and by Christians who are worldly minded [judge not – ask and it will be given – do unto others].
You see, the whole point of this sermon of Jesus’ is that the world is the inverse of the word. It is the direct opposite of God’s purpose.
That is why James tells us in James 4:4 – Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
And the way that Matthew summarises this sermon in these three chapters, tells us why it is only at the end that we reach interpersonal relationships. Because the outpour of our spirituality is entirely dependent on the infilling of God’s truth inside us. If the nature of our belief is contorted, so will the nature of our spiritual works be contorted. And so often, we are preoccupied with the external and no amount of work there is going to change anything. You don’t take a garden hose that’s barely spitting water and change the exit nozzle – you go and check the tap.
Let me give you an example. Blessed are the poor in spirit, and the meek. Not the proud and the obstinate. And it is not just murder when you kill someone, but the heart that harbours hatred and anger to a brother is also guilty of murder. Now, there’s a correlation here. You would not expect a humble and meek person to harbour hatred and anger to a brother. That’s what you’d expect from a proud and self-righteous person.
And now, when the Bible says that it is wrong for us to judge another when we are guilty of the same or even more, you can go back and make the same correlation.
Humility and meekness, leads to love and patience, leads to appropriate rebuke and correction over the wrongdoing of another.
Pride and a dominating spirit, leads to anger and jealousy, leads to inappropriate judgment and a levity over one’s own piety. - That is why I mentioned throughout our study of this sermon, that the Christian life can be lived only by those who are able to think the Christian way, and the ones that are able to think this new way, are only those who’ve been given this new life in Christ.
- From the onset, the Christian life is an offense to the world. As John MacArthur points out, “the entire thrust of the Sermon on the Mount is to show the complete distinction between true religion and false religion, between spiritual truth and spiritual hypocrisy.”
Exegesis
- Matthew 7:1-6 – “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 sFor with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 v“Do not give wdogs what is holy, and do not throw your xpearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.- As I mentioned before, here is a commonly misused portion of scripture. People use this text often to douse the fires of confrontation. It’s a common secular comeback that if you point out the error in the actions or considerations of another, you are considered judgmental and are condemned using the misuse of this verse.
I call them judge-me-not-Christians or the judge-me-not people. You know, like the touch-me-not plant version of people where if you so much as poke at them in the most gentle a manner, they immediately shut down saying, “judge me not”.
As Paul Washer points out, the appropriate response to those who say, “judge not lest you be judged”, is to say, “twist not scripture lest you be like the devil”. - Let me break it to you. This verse is not saying that we have no right to judge another person.
Haven’t you read,
John 7:24 – Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
1 Corinthians 5:12 – For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
The Bible does not ask us to stop judging, it asks us to be wise judges. What this passage is teaching us is how we must be wise in our judgments.
- As I mentioned before, here is a commonly misused portion of scripture. People use this text often to douse the fires of confrontation. It’s a common secular comeback that if you point out the error in the actions or considerations of another, you are considered judgmental and are condemned using the misuse of this verse.
- v1 – Judge not, that you be not judged.
- The primary principle of all judgment is the realisation that you are not the ultimate judge. It seems a simple enough reality that we’d all agree with except that when we carry out our judgments, we don’t often appear as though we understand this.
Often times, in carrying out our judgment, we do so out of our own authority forgetful of the fact that God is the judge of us all. - So, here is Jesus – the true and righteous judge over all (all things will be subjugated to His rule), looking over the sea of people, and reminding them do not judge without knowing that I will judge you.
- The primary principle of all judgment is the realisation that you are not the ultimate judge. It seems a simple enough reality that we’d all agree with except that when we carry out our judgments, we don’t often appear as though we understand this.
- v2 – For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
- The position of a Christian when judging another has to be the realisation that the seriousness with which he carries out that judgment, it will be measured back to him, both in the verdict and the standard of that judgment.
- Now, I want to make this very clear. Jesus is not asking anyone to reduce the standard of their judgment. The bottom-line is Scripture. The standard of the Christian life is written in the pages of this book. You can’t escape it. You repent when you fall short of that standard.
Rather the point that Jesus is making is that we tend to raise that standard by our worldly mindedness just like the Pharisees and the Scribes did. And if we do that, then the measure by which we judge another, it will be measured to us by Christ. - Here’s why I think that we should be very careful in our judgments. If I add a legalistic measure to my judgment by telling people that they cannot wear any jewellery because it is a sin, I don’t believe that what Jesus is saying here is simply that he expects me to not wear jewellery. That’s a given.
Rather, what I hear Jesus saying is that if I am going to elevate beyond biblical standard, the God will do the same in all aspects of my life. - Our judgments must be biblical, period.
- Psalm 89:14 – Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before You.
The foundation of true justice, is able to exercise mercy. Therefore, we need to be a merciful people standing on the unshakable rock of justice. - If the first part of this teaching is in relation to the realisation that God is watching over our judgments, the second part is in relation to our own sinfulness.
- v3-4 – 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
There are two problems here, the first is existential and the second is
practical.- Firstly, we are quick to see sin in others and slow to notice it in our own. Even more the sin in the other might be a speck, and we’re willing to rain down judgment and correction without even noticing a log in our own eye.
The speck referring to a less consequential mistake, and the log to a serious crime. - Secondly, we take practical steps to correct the other person and to teach them in the right way. And Jesus’ question is, “How can you?” It simply is not possible. The log in your eye will prevent you from being able to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
- Firstly, we are quick to see sin in others and slow to notice it in our own. Even more the sin in the other might be a speck, and we’re willing to rain down judgment and correction without even noticing a log in our own eye.
- v5 – You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
- Taking the speck out of your brother’s eye is not a bad thing. What do you do when a speck of dust enters your eye? Don’t you turn quickly to your brother and ask him to blow it out?
- But to be hypocritical in that effort is a sin.
Whether it be in carrying out undue judgment or a hypocritical justice, we are neither loving our brethren nor glorifying God. We are serving ourselves. - So, as Christians who have the new life, we understand truth from the Bible which informs us on how we are to think biblically. And so with regard to sin in oneanother, we are called to judge, rebuke, reprove and correct. It is the loving thing to do, to turn a brother from the path of sin.
But we do so, realising that God is the ultimate judge, and our measure of judgment ought to be like His. And this realisation is also supposed to cause us to work on our own sins – to remove the log from our eyes. And this help us help others. - A common question I’ve been asked is what one should do when others come to you for counsel when you are aware of your own sinfulness? Do you turn them away and ask them to come another time?
- Firstly, no counsellor is perfect. You cannot have an unreasonable expectation of perfection before helping others.
- Secondly, if your desire for helping your brother or sister in Christ is genuine, then this verse should spur you all the more to take the log out of your eye, in order to help them.
- v6 – v“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
- The final part of this passage is on the one we help. Do not give – do not throw
All our correction is meant to be gospel-centred, our pearls. Dogs and pigs were considered unclean by the Jewish people. Scavenging animals covered in dirt and feasting on the waste of this world.
They will trample the delights of the Gospel underfoot and turn to attack you. - At first glance, these refer to those without the Gospel. But take a closer look and you will find that dogs and pigs fill the pews of many churches
- The final part of this passage is on the one we help. Do not give – do not throw
Conclusion
- Judging one another is Christian duty – it is an act of love to correct one another of our wrongdoing. But as sinners, we are prone to misuse this opportunity to put down one another as a means to cover up our own sins, and push people around according to our agenda. Therefore, let us pursue this act of love, in love.
