The Sermon on the Mount: Judge Not
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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We are going through the Sermon on the Mount!
Jesus’s Sermon to his followers
Beattitudes - attitudes towards life that Jesus wants his followers to have
The opposite of what the World suggests.
Those who live such ways become light salt and light to the world
Healing and purifying - leading people to Jesus
Jesus explains that to be righteous we need to go beyond what the Law Requires
finding the roots to live as God intended
Jesus tells his followers to be better than the pharisees
Who only did good things to impress others
Jesus tells his followers to Seek God’s will rather than earthly riches
When we seek God’s kingdom, he will make sure our earthly needs are met.
Today we look at the beginning of Matthew chapter 7, with Jesus’s explanaition on Judgement.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
Judge not that you be not judged, for with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
How we treat others is How God will treat us.
Whether we are forgiving or judging:
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If you want forgiveness you need to be able to forgive, if you don’t want God to judge you for your wrongs, do not judge the wrongs of others.
Why is this important for us? because:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
all of us have sinned, all of us has fallen short of God’s goodness, and Elsewhere in Isaiah, it says that compared to God, all of our good deeds are like soiled rags. If we try to judge others, taking the place of God, God will judge us using the same measure.
Now that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to help others overcome their sin!
And this is hard to do, but there is a way to do it in love.
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? 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? 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.
If we are trying to help someone overcome their sinful habits, we have to do so in love, and first recognize that we are no better!
Jesus addresses this very issue in the book of John.
but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Jesus chose not to judge the woman caught in adultery, though, as the only perfect person to ever live, he would have been well within his rights to.
The parisees were quick to judge, and according to Old testament Law, they were correct to do so, except if we look at what the Law actually says:
“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
So where is the Man? if she was caught in the act, where is her partner?
So Jesus tells them, “If you are without sin, throw the first stone,” and here they are unjustly condemning only the woman, and they are all just as guilty of sin as well.
So church where does that leave us?
When we approach others to try and correct their behavior, we have to let them know that
Only God is judge,
That we are only trying to help
and we are also sinners saved by grace.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Church we are not to judge others, though we may help correct them, recognizing that any goodness we have only comes from following Christ.
“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.
What does Christ mean by this?
The Kingdom of God is precious, We shouldn’t lessen its goodness by judging others.
When we call ourselves Christians, How we act toward those around us reflects on Jesus.
If we judge others, people will think Jesus is judgmental - when he wasn’t
If we do not forgive others, people will think Jesus is unforgiving, which he was more forgiving than anyone.
If we do not respect Christ in our actions, it is like throwing something precious before pigs, unclean animals.
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
This is the Golden rule, treat others the way you want to be treated.
But there is more there Church
Becuase God promises to use the measures we use.
Treat others the way we want God to treat us.
Do not judge them
But in love try to help them overcome their own sins
Learn to forgive them
Knowing that you also need God’s forgiveness
Don’t retaliate against them,
Turn the other cheek, go the extra mile.
WHY?
Because then we are shining the light to the world.