Teaching the Disciples: Judging Others

Good morning!

Thank you for sharing your testimonies this morning.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but the text over the last few weeks has been very challenging.

It is one thing to learn about who Jesus is and another thing entirely to apply his message to my life.

I’ve had a few conversations this week with some of our members, and they expressed similar sentiments.

I think all of us can find comfort in the difficulty because this wasn’t easy for the disciples either.

Struggling to understand and put into practice is part of growing in our likeness to Jesus.

This is yet another reason why it is so important that we engage the Holy Spirit moment by moment so that he can work this out in our lives.

What Jesus is asking of his followers is impossible without the Holy Spirit.

It is vital to our experience in this world to remember this fact.

We are born in sin, and without God’s presence in our lives, we will stay in sin.

Only through abiding, as Jesus taught, can we be transformed into his likeness.

Last week, we talked about loving our enemies, and the heart of that message from Jesus was the love that he has for all people.

We all agreed that doing so is so difficult.

We all learned last week that when someone stands against us, no matter the severity, Jesus expects us to love them.

Whether their opposition is merely petty or if it is to bring harm to you, the command is the same. Love them.

That stands in opposition to what we know and are taught in our culture, but that doesn’t change what Jesus said to the disciples.

Jesus even role-modeled this depth of love as he allowed himself to be tortured and Crucified.

This love that God is encouraging us to learn and exhibit is otherworldly.

We cannot love like this in our own power or ability.

Today’s message is along the same lines.

Once again, the heart of the message is a call to love in a way not experienced by the vast majority of the world.

I was in a Cenla Interfaith board meeting this week and we were discussing the vast needs in Cenla.

As we were discussing it was said that there is distinct lack of community and care in Cenla.

I responded by saying that is such an incriminating indictment against the church.

It is our explicit charge to “love our neighbors as our selves.”

If there is a lack of care and community, that is the fault of the church.

We should lead the way in creating community, but all to often our focus is on ourselves and not on loving others like Jesus did.

Our passage today is going to hit just as hard as last week.

Specifically, we will see yet another indictment of the world's opposition to the church.

Spoiler alert: it isn’t because we are too loving.

Before we dig in and see what Jesus has for us today, I want to remind you that context matters.

I have a little visual aid.

Jesus is teaching the disciples, not the unbelieving crowds.

This teaching is for those who have chosen to follow Jesus.

That means this teaching is for us, the proclaimed followers of Jesus.

Also, for context, when I talk about the “church” today, I’m talking about the big “C” church.

Alright, let’s read. Luke 6:37-42.

Luke 6:37–42 CSB

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” 39 He also told them a parable: “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam of wood in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye.

Just like the ones we have seen over the last two weeks.

Jesus gives instruction and then follows it up with a parable.

His goal is to communicate in a way that his hearers can understand and then make some application.

He isn’t speaking in riddles.

He aims to make a lasting and distinct change in the disciple's lives.

Jesus begins this section with two commands, and the intent is slightly lost in translation.

In both commands, Luke uses the present imperative, which can be better translated as “Stop Judging” and “Stop condemning.”

It suggests that the readers of this book must stop what they are presently doing.

This is often read with the mindset of “I shouldn’t do that in the future,” but Luke intentionally states that we should stop now.

This begs the question, how does Luke know that the readers are judging and condemning people?

He knows it because it is part of our sinful nature to look at the actions of others and make a judgment or condemnation that is usually comparable to our own actions.

If our goal is to love people as God loves them, we must fundamentally change how we think about them.

Judgment and condemnation bring pain, not healing.

It is no secret that we live in a divided country and world.

Life Group question: How have you experienced judgment and condemnation in your own life?

Life Group question: How has polarization in our culture affected the church and its ministry?

A culture of division exists in nearly every circle of life.

It doesn’t matter if you are talking politics, sports, or the best brand of mayonnaise; the expectation is that you pick a side, plant your flag, and die on that hill.

Everything in our lives becomes polarized, and judgment and condemnation flow freely from all parties involved.

I want to point out that Jesus didn’t say not to judge or condemn someone, only if you agree with their ideas.

He says, “Stop judging and stop condemning,” end of story.

In the book Dangerous Jesus: Why the Only Thing More Risky than Getting Jesus Right is Getting Jesus Wrong, KB addresses this issue.

Pray daily for God to keep you merciful toward others as He has been merciful toward you.

Argue less with antisocial justice trolls.

Go do justice.

Do not be afraid to hear the observations of people outside the faith community (Samaritans) on how society is failing its vulnerable people.

Respect the image of God enough to believe victims can honestly share their victimization without knowing Jesus.

Go do justice.

There will inevitably be places where you agree with BLM, critical race theorists, and even socialists.

Do not fear that your faith is now in jeopardy because someone you perceive as an ideological opponent has a good (or better) point.

All truth is God’s truth, and it will be in these truth intersections that we find windows to proclaim the excellency of Christ!

There is a lot to take in on that quote, but here is the main thing I want you to hear.

We do not have to agree with everything someone thinks or believes to love them like Jesus.

In fact, you don’t have to agree with anything someone thinks to love them like Jesus.

This is the whole point!

Jesus doesn’t agree with much of what you or I think; he loves us just the same.

Life Group question: How does it make you feel that Jesus doesn’t agree with everything you think and believe but loves you the same?

“While we were yet sinners!”

Romans 5:8 CSB

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

If we are going to learn to stop judging and condemning others, we have to see that we aren’t perfect, either!

I know what you may be thinking, “Will, if they are wrong, we should let them know.”

This isn’t about discernment.

Jesus is forbidding looking down on others in order to make yourself seem better!

Jesus even taught his disciples that He, who has every right to judge and condemn us, that he did not come for that purpose.

John 3:17 CSB

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

If Jesus didn’t come to the world to condemn the world, why would we feel that we have the right to?

Not only is it not our job, responsibility, or right to judge and condemn others, but we aren’t helping anyone when we do.

We are making things worse!

When was the last time you were judged or condemned by someone else and felt loved by their condemnation?

I would bet probably never!

So what does Jesus tell us to do instead of judging and condemning?

How do we usher in healing instead of pain?

Luke 6:37–38 CSB

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

The nature of Jesus and of his disciples is one of forgiveness and generosity.

Forgiveness and generosity pave the way for healing and blessing.

Let me ask you a couple of rhetorical questions.

Are people who don’t know God or live in sin drawn to the church?

Are we running out of space in our churches?

They aren’t beating the doors down, and we aren’t running out of room because the church's attitude has been judgment and condemnation for generations.

Life Group question: How can our church change the paradigm of judgment and condemnation?

While conversing with the interfaith board this week, I immediately thought about our text for today.

One of the primary reasons that the church has little influence in its communities is that the community doesn’t want anything to do with the church.

They don’t want anything to do with the church because we lead with judgment and condemnation instead of forgiveness and generosity.

Look with me at how Luke describes Jesus’ ministry.

Luke 15:1–2 NIV

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

I think most of you know that this is our church's namesake.

This was our heart in starting The Gathering Place.

We want to be a church and a people that acknowledged our shortcomings, gathered around Jesus, and created a space for any person to be comfortable to gather around Jesus.

That desire has in no way diminished over the last fourteen years.

Personally, I would say that my desire to be that person and create that kind of space has only increased.

But let’s talk about what that means for all of us.

It is one thing to say you want that kind of church, but that kind of church isn’t easy to create or maintain.

In John 15 Jesus teaches us to abide in Him; then, he gives us the command to love one another.

On the heels of that teaching, he gives the following warning:

John 15:18–20 CSB

18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Let me break this down for us.

If we are the disciples that Jesus asks us to be.

If we follow Jesus where he leads, we should expect that kind of reaction.

The status quo of most churches is not to make space for sinners to gather around Jesus.

The status quo is to put on a mask of perfection and then stare with judgment and condemnation at those who don’t measure up.

The danger is that if we aren’t daily abiding in Christ, that can also become our status quo.

The only way to keep from becoming like the world is to become like Jesus.

There isn’t a middle ground between the two.

We are sheep, or we are goats, as we learned last week.

If we are following Jesus, we will act like Jesus did.

Jesus’ followers give others the same mercy they receive from God.

As we are being disciples and disciplining others, we pass on the lessons and healing we have received.

We are giving, not of ourselves, but of the overflow of what we are receiving from God.

Luke 6:38 CSB

Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

When Luke was writing, people wore robes, and an extra fold in the front was used as a pocket.

So when Jesus says that a good measure will be poured into your lap, he refers to the filling of this pocket.

Not only would this pocket be filled, but it was filled in a way that every nook and cranny was also filled.

If you ever watch a barista making a shot of espresso you will notice they put the expresso filter cup under a grinder and it is filled until it begins to overflow.

Then they take a little thing with wire tines on it and stir grounds to make sure that there are no voids or pockets of air.

Finally they take a tamper and compress the grounds expelling any air that might have remained.

This is a good example of what Jesus is talking about here.

When we give, we will be filled until we are overflowing.

Like a well-tamped filter cup makes a great cup of coffee, a filled disciple becomes a great disciple maker.

Life Group question: How did Jesus use the overflow in your life this week to love someone?

Jesus is reminding us that we cannot do this on our own.

Let’s look at these two super short parables he gives after.

Luke 6:39–42 CSB

He also told them a parable: “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. “Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam of wood in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye.

There are two ideas that Jesus is sharing in regard to the commands he just gave.

Jesus will lead us into this kind of living and loving.

Our lives have shown that we can’t do this alone.

The world's condition today shows we cannot love like Jesus does without God.

The injustice that happens all around us and to us is the result of the fall of man.

God didn’t want this for us and offered himself to redeem us and the world.

As his followers, he has told us that he will work through us to help the people around us experience the freedom that comes in a relationship with Jesus.

We need to focus on our own shortcomings rather than others.

Life Group question: What are some of the ways our church falls short in loving like Jesus?

I love the imagery that comes to mind with this second parable.

Imagine with me.

You have a beam in your eye, looking around for the speck in everyone else’s eye, and as you look back and forth, you are smacking people in the face with your beam!

It is the focus on other people’s problems that has driven people from the church.

As followers of Jesus, our job isn’t to protect the church.

Jesus doesn’t need us to be the gatekeepers.

Jesus himself is the gatekeeper, and he wants those gates wide open.

As followers of Jesus, our job is to love everyone the way Jesus does.

Life Group question: How is God directing you to correct those shortcomings?

We are going to unpack more of this next week.

But today, I want to land this plane with an opportunity for us to think about our own lives.

As we close in worship this morning, let God show you your interactions in the last week where you were judgmental or condemned someone else.

This is more than self-evaluation.

God is asking us to allow Him to speak some hard truth into our lives.

As I mentioned last week, becoming more like Jesus is not a passive activity.

It requires that we open ourselves to hear from God, confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and then experience the peace and freedom that comes through being washed clean.

The goal today was not for each of us to leave here feeling condemned.

Remember, Jesus said that isn’t why he came.

Jesus came to heal the broken parts of our lives.

While that may be uncomfortable for a moment, the healing that comes will change your life forever.

The goal for today is for us to stop judging and condemning.

To offer the same grace, forgiveness, love, and mercy that Jesus offers us.

But we can’t give that away until we have received it.

Open yourself this morning to receive the grace, mercy, and love Jesus is pouring out.

Let’s pray.

Announcements:

A special thank you from JJ and Mayra to those who came to their celebration.

There is a thank you card from Anna to the church.