Matthew 7: 1
Judge Not

It is one that is often terribly misused in an attempt to protect professing Christians from being criticized for their inconsistent life style or bad theology.  And it has a very valuable lesson to teach us all about living the Christian life, even if it is an expression that is often terribly misused by professing Christians who do not want to come under the friendly counsel of other Christians or of Christians who are in a position of leadership over Christ's people.

I would like to think this morning along the lines of, first, what does it mean?  And, second, why is what it seemingly refers to, prohibited.

I. FIRST CONSIDER, WHAT THE EXPRESSION MEANS.

1. It is by no means intuitively obvious.  There are all sorts of interpretations as to its meaning and, that alone, proves that it is not all that easy to interpret and apply this verse.

It may help us to come to some understanding by excluding some things which it cannot mean:

It likely cannot mean that we are never to say anything negative or harsh about anyone.  The reason that this must be excluded is that the Lord said some terribly harsh things about people and, presumably, he is our example in some sense.  And the inspired writers of the books of the New Testament often say harsh things against some people who profess to be children of God.

Read Matthew 23 and see one of the harshest and most bitter chapters of either the Old Testament or the New.  And it is a quote from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul, too, engages in harsh statements, such as in the first chapter of Galatians, the third of Philippians and the third of II Timothy.  And these are just starters.  Also note the book of Jude and the book of II Peter which have some very harsh and judgmental passages.

2. It evidently does not mean that we may never call sin "sin."  Again, the reason is that the New Testament writers, who are evidently, our examples, in some sense, frequently do the same.

And it does not mean, as some propose, that we must always avoid judging other people's motives, though it is very often the counsel of wisdom to do so.  The previously mentioned passages are full of the judgment of men's motives for their heresy and misbehavior.

3. It does not mean that we should never say anything negative about anything or anybody; or that we must never make a private judgment as to the truth of some teaching.  We know that what I say, is true, because this very passage warns about naiveté' in the other direction.  Don't judge, it says.  But on the other hand, "don't cast your pearls before swine."  A person who forms no private opinion about the character, wickedness and dishonesty of people, will surely cast his pearls before swine in many different ways.  It means that we should be discerning and wise and not sacrifice our good common sense for the sake of abstention from judgment.

I repeat: This prohibition, "do not judge," does not mean that we should never form private opinions about peoples' character or their spiritual condition before the Lord, or in their correctness in what they say.

4. What, then, does this passage mean?

A little help is found in the second clause: "For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged and the measure you give will be the measure you get."  I would suggest that it is a prohibition of a self-righteous, judgmental attitude that is quick to condemn and is in the habit of frequently doing so.  It is the opposite of the "Golden Rule": "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

5. Now because of all the foregoing, it is not just an either/or, yes/or/no kind of thing to be guilty of judging.  It speaks of a mindset and a habitual practice, I believe. I t largely calls for personal discipline and application.  Except when it is seen in the extreme, I believe you are on thin ice, when you go around accusing people of "judging" in this sense.  If anyone tells you that you are judgmental, you have a right, perhaps, to say, "You are judgmental when you say I am judgmental."  But, on the other hand, perhaps you should consider what he says and see if there is a kernel of truth in it, or if he is just a self-righteous fool.  It is a personal sin and should be applied by the individual before the Lord as we apply such things as the prohibitions of covetousness or impurity of heart or some other sins that are very private and individualized.

6. I would suggest that our text is a prohibition of a self-righteous, judgmental attitude that is quick to condemn and is in the habit of frequently doing so.  It is the opposite of the golden rule -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and is a way of stating the law of forgiveness: "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."

7. It seems appropriate for me to make some observations, since it is true that it is a very personal matter between you and the Lord -- observations that should help you to define the kind of judgment which the Lord is presumably condemning here:

a. The kind of judgment here is when you are cruising for circumstances in which to express your judgment.  A person who is always jumping into other peoples' affairs and serving as prosecuting attorney, judge and jury, is certainly being judgmental, in the sense of this text.  Probably I Corinthians 13 is speaking about this when it says that "Love takes no account of evil."  It surely doesn't mean it never judges evil, but that love doesn't eagerly jump into the seat of judgment.

b. The kind of "judgment" here is, presumably, when one holds a higher standard for others than he has attained for himself.  Isn't it surprising that we humans do this on a regular basis?  It is sometimes a disease of parents and it is an occupational hazzard of ministers.  This is presumably what the expression means: "the pot calling the kettle black."  And the Scriptures frequently condemn us for doing so.  The Lord condemns it with a funny statement in v.3

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice the log in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother: "Let me take the speck out of your eye" when there is a log in your own eye."

c. This Judgment is probably when we take secret, or even obvious delight in judging others.  This delight may come from a perverse form of self-justification. The idea is that you feel so bad about yourself that you are encouraged to think that at least you aren't as bad as the person you are judging and that in some cases, you may be positively superior to that person.

It may be that you desire to control other people or to get back at people who have, long ago, hurt you.  So often in human behavior we are fighting battles with long gone individuals for whom some current person is required to serve as a substitute in our strange malady.  The idea is so ridiculous that one would have to be a human to know that it is true, to believe it.

In some cases, it may originate in a general negativism about life in general, that infests some people's outlook.  One is reminded of the old story about youths rubbing linburger cheese into the mustache of an old man while he was sleeping, and for weeks afterwards the whole world stank as far as he was concerned.  There is a cure for this kind of pessimism in good theology.  Hallelujah!  For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!"  The discipline of the Holy Spirit over our own lives, combined with the work of the Holy Spirit giving us grace.

II. NOW IN THE SECOND PLACE, LET US CONSIDER WHY WE MUST NOT JUDGE.

1. Mainly, because we are so frail ourselves.  We are so in need of forgiveness by God and man, in our own lives.  In fact, other people's failings, rather than making us judgmental, should make us cry out to God for grace, so that we will not be found in such a position as that in which they are found, without sufficient grace to prevent them from being vulnerable to the judgment of an onlooker.

2. We should not judge, because we need to presume upon the mercy of others toward us in their judging of us.  We wish that people would judge us mercifully.  How knowingly we read the parable of our Lord in which he taught about the unmerciful servant who obtained great mercy from his Lord, but would not even extend a small mercy to his fellow servant.  Immediately, as we read this, our hearts respond with loathing for the man who had learned so very little from his Lord's mercy to him, in forgiving him of his debt, that he pursued a comparatively trivial debt with utmost severity.  We loath the man for his cruelty, his lack of the smallest mercy toward his fellow servant.  Yet, our own unthinking response condemns us, for if we look carefully, we sometimes see ourselves in his person.  For we are recipients of the greatest amount of mercy -- an infinite mercy -- in our salvation and yet, we are judgmental toward those who should elicit our feelings of pity and true love when we are compelled to bring up the subject of judgment.

It is well known, that most people are super anxious to sit in judgment over someone else who is especially judgmental.  It happens all the time on the religious media, and sometimes even closer to home than that.  But our Lord has taught us: "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged."

3. Another reason for forgiving, and not judging, is mentioned here.  It is mentioned by implication.  All of the foregoing reasons for not being judgmental, are only vested self- interest.  This third one, implied as it is throughout the whole paragraph, is because we know God.  And He is our judge and jury.  He alone is worthy to judge, by right of his perfect holiness.  When we are judgmental, we are usurping his role, which is his alone to exercise.  He who is our Judge has satisfied his own absolutely righteous standard for us in the saving work of Christ, the incarnate Second Person of the Triune Godhead.  In this he has proved himself as not only great in judgment, but great also in mercy!  And he has asked us, who are the objects of his mercy, to be kind and generous, harmless as doves, yet at the same time, as wise as serpents.

Never, never, think that the way to a life pleasing to the Lord is simply to pretend being a righteous person!  It is, instead, to use the means of grace and a God-given change of heart to, in some way gain the aid of the Holy Spirit to progress in the path of holiness which God has ordained for you to follow.

The communion, which we observe, as a whole congregation on this first Sunday of each month is a reminder of our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is not only our Savior, but also our King whom we follow in obedient submission.  Today, let us once again, resubscribe to his Saviorhood which is prominent in the communion, but also to his Lordship over our lives, which we equally confess when we partake of the symbols of his person and his atonement for our sins.