You're not better than anyone, Jesus told his hearers. This was an important theme, considering that the Pharisees saw anyone who was not "keeping the Law" — according to their interpretation — as cursed. People who had been born out of wedlock were also viewed as cursed. (But as John puts it, those who won't receive Jesus are the ones actually cursed — by their own decision.)
Next Page: Section 34
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Don't sit in judgment over another, or you will face being judged.
You will be judged by the standard you use; you will be measured by the yardstick you apply to others.
Why are you focusing on the speck in your brother's eye, but you don't notice the two-by-four hanging out of your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, let me help you remove this speck from your eye while you have a two-by-four in your own eye?
You fraud! First get rid of that two-by-four in your eye and then you will see clearly in order to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
This admonition refers to "judgmentalism," gossip and backbiting. It
doesn't mean don't use reason when dealing with others. It means be
wary of going by appearances. But even if a person has fallen, there
but for the grace of God go you. You are that person's equal! In fact,
you should regard yourself as of lower estate than that "poor soul."
That's the right attitude. Be right-sized.
You reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). So when you cast aspersions on someone, that very situation will come back to haunt you. Thus, Jesus advises, don't go there.
The injunction to "judge not," in the sense of assuming a position of superiority with respect to the one we are eyeballing, is something that often seems to slip through under the mental radar. We know better, in theory, yet we do it anyway.
Consider a person who runs or serves in an outreach program to the homeless or other poor. Does this servant identify with those homeless persons as equals, or is the attitude patronizing and condescending? Has the servant unconsciously, perhaps, assumed an elevated role and position?
But had I had a specific individual in mind when writing the paragraph above, I would be in the wrong. I have no business judging anyone, including people whose behavior I might not endorse. I can dislike certain activities, but I haven't walked in that person's shoes and so who am I to hold him in opprobrium? If Jesus died a terrible death so as to pay off the debt of the worst of sinners, doesn't that imply that he did not care to judge people – just as he refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11) [DNJ.1] ? So if Jesus doesn't judge us, who do I think I am when I pass judgment on another? (Unfortunately, this bad habit continually afflicts me.)
Christians tend to have strong negative feelings about adultery, homosexuality, gay marriage, and abortion. It is fine for us to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) about what we think is right or wrong. But we should beware becoming too personal. Then are we not moving into judgmentalism? If you haven't walked a mile in your brother's or sister's shoes, then who are you to pass judgment on another's behavior and way of life? Jesus did not come to judge us, but to seek and to save those who are lost – thank God! (John 3:17, Luke 19:10).
Still, it is not necessarily a bad thing to correct a brother.
That two-by-four should start coming out once you have sincerely received Jesus as your personal Lord and Rescuer – though for many the distorting lens of this world system may take some time to be corrected. On the other hand, there should be a striking change in behavior, even if the renewed person hasn't quite gotten her "sea legs."
While it is so that a worldly person can act "good" when others are looking, and may even be somewhat moralistically rigid on account of a parentally induced sense of guilt and shame, such a person cannot possibly experience the joy of liberty in Christ or voluntarily desire to do things Christ's way.
The unregenerate person who tries to be "good" remains in bondage to self, and hence Satan. A person who has been a not-really born-again "good Christian" has not seen the kingdom of God, has not walked in its light, and is really a role-playing hypocrite. That is to say, once that role-playing "good Christian" actually "converts" to Jesus, surrendering all to him, then he is no longer a "good Christian" but a brand new creation!
Hence, his inner being will eagerly desire, despite the resistance of the old nature, to follow Jesus – and change of heart will be proved by his actions. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17). A person reborn of the Spirit just HAS to let that light shine through her behavior!
As James, "the brother of Jesus" wrote:
You reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). So when you cast aspersions on someone, that very situation will come back to haunt you. Thus, Jesus advises, don't go there.
The injunction to "judge not," in the sense of assuming a position of superiority with respect to the one we are eyeballing, is something that often seems to slip through under the mental radar. We know better, in theory, yet we do it anyway.
Consider a person who runs or serves in an outreach program to the homeless or other poor. Does this servant identify with those homeless persons as equals, or is the attitude patronizing and condescending? Has the servant unconsciously, perhaps, assumed an elevated role and position?
But had I had a specific individual in mind when writing the paragraph above, I would be in the wrong. I have no business judging anyone, including people whose behavior I might not endorse. I can dislike certain activities, but I haven't walked in that person's shoes and so who am I to hold him in opprobrium? If Jesus died a terrible death so as to pay off the debt of the worst of sinners, doesn't that imply that he did not care to judge people – just as he refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11) [DNJ.1] ? So if Jesus doesn't judge us, who do I think I am when I pass judgment on another? (Unfortunately, this bad habit continually afflicts me.)
Christians tend to have strong negative feelings about adultery, homosexuality, gay marriage, and abortion. It is fine for us to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) about what we think is right or wrong. But we should beware becoming too personal. Then are we not moving into judgmentalism? If you haven't walked a mile in your brother's or sister's shoes, then who are you to pass judgment on another's behavior and way of life? Jesus did not come to judge us, but to seek and to save those who are lost – thank God! (John 3:17, Luke 19:10).
Still, it is not necessarily a bad thing to correct a brother.
Proverb 9:8-9
BUT, if you are spiritually dead, then you are blind, which is the
equivalent of having a two-by-four in your eye. Although Matthew does not
here emphasize the need to become born again (a phrase Matthew does not use
at all), we who know Jesus understand that Jesus was pointing to that necessity. You
must be born from above, by the Spirit, in order to get the
two-by-four out of your eye. Then you will be able to see clearly in
order to be of real value to your brother.
8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
That two-by-four should start coming out once you have sincerely received Jesus as your personal Lord and Rescuer – though for many the distorting lens of this world system may take some time to be corrected. On the other hand, there should be a striking change in behavior, even if the renewed person hasn't quite gotten her "sea legs."
While it is so that a worldly person can act "good" when others are looking, and may even be somewhat moralistically rigid on account of a parentally induced sense of guilt and shame, such a person cannot possibly experience the joy of liberty in Christ or voluntarily desire to do things Christ's way.
The unregenerate person who tries to be "good" remains in bondage to self, and hence Satan. A person who has been a not-really born-again "good Christian" has not seen the kingdom of God, has not walked in its light, and is really a role-playing hypocrite. That is to say, once that role-playing "good Christian" actually "converts" to Jesus, surrendering all to him, then he is no longer a "good Christian" but a brand new creation!
Hence, his inner being will eagerly desire, despite the resistance of the old nature, to follow Jesus – and change of heart will be proved by his actions. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17). A person reborn of the Spirit just HAS to let that light shine through her behavior!
As James, "the brother of Jesus" wrote:
James 4:11-12
The idea is that now that we are born again, we are to love – not judge – our fellow humans for whom Christ died. If you want to be at the top of the heap, then you must be everyone's servant. That's how Jesus rolls! Be right sized, and you will find it easier not to judge another.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Next Page: Section 34
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