The Good Life: Loving, Humble, Grace-filled Correction: Judging Sin Rightly (Matthew 7:1-6)
Notes
Transcript
Lowell’s Syndrome
Lowell’s Syndrome
The most distinguished astronomer at the turn of the century was convinced that there were canals on Mars. Sir Percival Lowell, renowned for his study of the solar system, was particularly fascinated by the Red Planet. When he learned in 1877 that an Italian astronomer had spotted straight lines crisscrossing the Martian surface, Lowell dedicated the rest of his life to peering through his giant telescope in Arizona, mapping the channels and canals he believed he saw. He firmly believed that the canals provided evidence of intelligent life on Mars, possibly an older and wiser race than humanity. His observations gained widespread acceptance and his esteemed reputation meant that few dared to contradict him. However, our understanding of Mars has changed drastically since then. Space probes have orbited and landed on Mars, mapping the entire planet, with no canals in sight. How could Lowell have perceived so much that wasn't really there? There are two possibilities: (1) he so desired to see canals that he convinced himself he did, and (2) we now know that he suffered from a rare eye disease that caused him to see the blood vessels in his own eyes. The "canals" he saw were simply the bulging veins of his eyeballs. This condition is now known as "Lowell's syndrome." The bulging veins distorted his view of the pictures.
In our broken nature, oftentimes, we repeatedly "see" faults in others because we don't want to believe anything better about them. We may think that we have a clear view of their shortcomings when, in reality, our vision is distorted by our “bulging” biases and flaws. Pride veils the eyes of our hearts from discerning how to see our brothers and sisters with humility through the lens of God’s love and grace for them. Moreover, religious people can be the worst at judging people’s shortcomings to harshly.
In the context of the Sermon on the Mount, this kind of attitude got the Pharisees in trouble. The Pharisee’s view of life was to be proud. They denied the Word of God and established their religious code of conduct, which focused on external morality. Jesus accused them of being superficial and hypocritical in giving, praying, and fasting. They were more preoccupied with earthly money and possessions than storing treasure in heaven. Their pride not only affected their relationship with God, but also led to being over critical and judgmental of their neighbor. They were supposed to be the good shepherds of the law who could graciously, humbly, and lovingly correct God’s people so they could walk rightly with the Lord. Instead the suffered from the spiritual equivalent of Lowell's syndrome-big bulging veins of pride distorting the eyes of their heart.
The result of prideful judgment is broken trust. When people are harshly criticized for their recurring sins or confronted with cold, careless words, they become less willing to be vulnerable and struggle to grow in their sanctification.
This is why our culture often misuses a verse as a weapon: "You have no right to judge. Jesus said, 'Judge not, lest you be judged.'" As a result, some people believe that there should be no judgment at all. Is that what Jesus meant? Certainly not! In verse 6, Jesus says,
6 “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.
Who are the dogs? Who are the pigs? It is the wicked and the unclean. How do we discern the difference between the good and the evil? We must make a judgement. A few verses later Jesus says,
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
We must judge by the fruit of the prophet if he is true or false. Jesus also said you will know a tree by its fruit. If it bears bad fruit it is a bad tree. If it bears good fruit it is a good true. The fruit are the words and deeds of a person. We must assess them in order to determine if they are good or bad.
Even the world understands what is means to judge or correct. When a person breaks the law, the judge must discipline the criminal. If a woman is walking alone down the street and she sees three men walking toward her that make her feel uncomfortable, she rightly judges them and walks across the street t be safe.
Jesus never forbid assessing right and wrong or discerning good and evil. He forbids harsh critical condemnation of other people.
We must judge to protect the integrity of the church, community, and home.
Jesus warns, however, us not to judge with a critical or condemning eye on your brother, sister, or neighbor’s sin. He calls us to be humble, gracious and loving in our judgement. Despite what the world says, it is loving to correct sin. Jesus teaches us how to go about doing it in a way the fits inside His kingdom.
This morning, our text says, in so many words,
In order to correct someone’s sin with love, humility, and grace, you must first examine your heart for hypocrisy, then love your neighbor by judging rightly.
In order to correct someone’s sin with love, humility, and grace, you must first examine your heart for hypocrisy, then love your neighbor by judging rightly.
To judge rightly, Jesus calls you to first examine your heart. Here are four ways to examine your heart so you can humbly, graciously, and lovingly correct your brother, sister, or neighbor's sin in a way that maintains their dignity and honors the Lord.
Examine your heart for the right perspective on Judgment (Matthew 7:1)
Examine your heart for the right perspective on Judgment (Matthew 7:1)
1 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.
There are two perspectives to keep in mind as you examine your heart to correct someone else's sin.
Man’s fallen judgement is soiled with a hypocritical condemnatory attitude.
Man’s fallen judgement is soiled with a hypocritical condemnatory attitude.
Man is fallen. We are sinful to the core, which means we are prone to hypocritically judge someone.
Jesus gives a command, “do not judge.” He follows it with a purpose clause, “so you won’t be judged.” Two questions arise: What does the word judge mean, and who will be doing the judging? To the second question, the word judge, krino, often carries the idea of condemnation. In this case however, as R.T. France notes, it is more is concerned with the fault-finding, condemnatory attitude which is too often combined with a blindness to one’s own failings.
This kind of judgement reminds me of a person meticulously examining a mirror for any specks of dirt, while completely unaware of the mud smudged across their own face. They are so consumed with fault-finding in others that they fail to see their own glaring shortcomings. Your natural fallen inclination is to judge others with a hypocritical condemnatory attitude. We need the Lord to help us judge rightly.
God is the primary judge
God is the primary judge
As to the first question, “who is the judge,” Jesus teaches his disciples that one day God will rightly and effectively judge every human being. Jesus describes the final judgement in Matthew 25:31-46, where there is coming time when God will separate the sheep from the goats, the unbelievers from the believers. The sheep will go to heaven and the goats will go to hell.
There will also be a Great White Throne of Judgement where believers will be given their rewards for their works of faith (Revelation 20:11-15). Paul says to the Corinthian church that Jesus will be judging your works:
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
Jesus will know every hypocritical and judgmental word, thought, deed, and motive you’ve ever used toward someone. Those works will not last and therefore not be rewarded. So, before you decide to correct another’s sin, remind yourself, on the one hand, you tend to judge others with a condemnatory attitude and you need the Holy Spirit to help you. On the other hand, God is the primary judge who will judge your attitude behind your judgements. Bring your motives and words before the Lord in prayer before you decide to speak them to your brother or sister.
Examine your heart with the right mirror of measure (Matthew 7:2-4)
Examine your heart with the right mirror of measure (Matthew 7:2-4)
2 For 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?
In our context, measuring someone means evaluating or assessing them. “The measure you give will be the measure you get” is a reference used in the New Testament to mean evaluation. Mark references an old proverbial saying regarding receiving Jesus' teaching and, again, as mentioned in Luke's Gospel, about generosity. This saying is also found in Jewish literature, indicating divine retribution. In our context, Jesus uses the same saying to express the reciprocal principle in judgment: "By the standard you judge someone, you will be judged by that very standard."
Consider the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-35. The king wanted to settle accounts with his servants. One of his servants owed him ten thousand talents, a massive debt that would take years to repay. Since the servant couldn't pay, he and his family were going to be sold. He begged the king for mercy, and the king moved with compassion and forgave his debt. Later, the forgiven servant found someone who owed him a hundred denarii (a small amount of money), and despite being begged for mercy, he had the man thrown in jail for the debt. When the king heard about this, he immediately seized the unforgiving servant and said,
33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
The parable of the unforgiving servant teaches us that we will be judged by the same measure we use to judge others. God has given us mercy, we should be merciful. God has given us grace, we should be gracious. God has given us love, in light of the cross, we should be loving.
Imagine facing a brother or sister in the Lord whom you know is walking away from Jesus. The consequence of not speaking into their life will lead to apostasy and eternal condemnation. You have to warn them. Before talking to this person, stand in front of a mirror and take a good look at yourself. Just like a mirror reflects our physical appearance, our judgment should reflect our Christ-like character and values, like that of the forgiving king.
When you examine yourself, you are essentially evaluating your life to see if it reflects your faith. You should consider whether the Spirit of God is working within you. Do you experience godly sorrow over your sins? Do you desire to be conformed into the image of the Son? Have you repented and confessed your sin? If you answer "no" to any of these questions, it may indicate that the Spirit of God is not within you. However, if you can answer "yes" to these questions, it indicates that you are looking at sin correctly and understanding the grace necessary for your daily sanctification. You are in a better position to help your brother or sister.
Moreover, when you examine yourself and see your sin as God sees it, you will gain humility and be equipped to speak truth with the purpose to restore a brother or sister and assist in carrying their burdens. Paul alludes to this in his letter to the Galatians when he says,
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
Paul exhorts us in verse 1 that restoring a brother or sister caught in sin is appropriate, but it should be done with a spirit of gentleness. To ensure gentleness, you must first evaluate yourself (stand in the mirror and measure yourself) and ensure you are not caught in sin, risking hypocrisy. In verse 3, you examine yourself for pride. Before helping others, it's important to test your own actions. Restoration with a spirit of gentleness is most effective when we have the proper perspective on judgment and when we measure ourselves accurately using a mirror that reflects our sin and the grace, we need to overcome it.
Examine your heart to see the plank before the speck (Matthew 7:5)
Examine your heart to see the plank before the speck (Matthew 7:5)
Jesus uses a carpentry metaphor as an illustration. The spec is a tiny piece of saw dust. The plank is a long beam of wood. So, Jesus says, “How can you see the tiny spec of saw dust in your neighbors eyes with that big fat beam of wood in your own eye? You need to take the big fat beam of wood out of your own eye before you think about removing the spec of saw dust in your brothers eye.” But how do you do that?
Humility takes the plank out of your eye.
Humility takes the plank out of your eye.
First, as I mentioned above, you humble yourself by taking a long look in the spiritual proverbial mirror. I find it quite humiliating to stand naked before a mirror. The mirror does not lie. It cannot hide the shame of your nakedness like clothes do. So it is when you examine yourself in the mirror of God’s word that reveals His righteousness and holiness, and how often we fall short, even with His Spirit working in us. How many of us understand Paul when he says,
22 For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Of course I love God’s instruction. I love his word that teaches me to live wisely and fruitful in his kingdom now. But man alive, I see a different law in my flesh waging war against God’s word. I struggle to walk in a manner that pleases the Lord. It’s a daily fight. And if its a daily fight for me, it must also be a daily fight for my brother or sister caught in sin. Therefore, humble yourself, and allow God to lift you up to help judge sin rightly.
Seeing your sing rightly takes the plank out of your eye
Seeing your sing rightly takes the plank out of your eye
Next, gaze upon on your shortcomings and sins and see where you need the grace of Jesus applied to your life.
When the Corinthian church was struggling with serious sins, Paul tells the church to
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
The church needed to gaze upon their hearts to examine their motives, their words, and their actions toward each other so that they did not invite God’s discipline. They needed to look in the mirror and see if they were reflecting Jesus to their struggling community.
In the same way, you are to test your motives, your words, and your actions for any pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, anything that would make you a hypocrite for addressing someone’s sin.
Knowing the love of Jesus takes the plank out of your eye.
Knowing the love of Jesus takes the plank out of your eye.
Finally consider how Jesus lovingly addresses your sin through the cross and his patient progressive sanctification. Think upon how Jesus never leaves or forsake you, even when your sin is blatant.
In the Bible, the story of the woman caught in adultery portrays a group of people who were quick to judge and condemn her. However, Jesus encouraged them to reflect on their own actions and thoughts, leading them to drop their stones of judgment. The story teaches us to be cautious in our judgment of others and to measure it against the grace we have received. Notice how Jesus never left the woman who was caught in blatant adultery. He brings her close to himself, deals with it graciously, and tells her to sin no more. Jesus’s love for the woman caught in adultery epitomizes Paul’s about words about love in
1 Corinthians 13:6–7 (ESV)
6 love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Examine your heart to offer pearls of wisdom to those who will receive it (Matthew 7:6)
Examine your heart to offer pearls of wisdom to those who will receive it (Matthew 7:6)
6 “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.
In Jesus’ day dogs were wild and pigs were unclean. Dogs and pigs were used as a symbol to represent spiritually unclean people. In this context it represents people who are not willing to receive correction.
The Bible values those who are wise enough to receive correction. Solomon instructs his sons
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
The word instruction can also be translated correction. Solomon also says,
32 Anyone who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever listens to correction acquires good sense.
The valuable pearls Jesus refers to is wise correction. Just as it takes humility to examine yourself before you correct someone, it also takes a great deal of humility to receive correction. The wise person will have ears to hear the humility, grace, and love of someone who speaks correction into their life. The fool rejects it with anger and violence. Jesus says avoid these people. Just as you would not cast valuable pearls to wild dogs and dirty pigs, do not waste your time correcting a fool who refuses to receive wisdom. Warren Wiersbe warns
It is a wise Christian who first assesses the condition of a person’s heart before sharing the precious pearls.
Warren W. Wiersbe
There is good wisdom in praying and discerning if the person who is caught in sin is willing to receive your correction.
Jesus removes your spiritual Lowell’s Syndrome
Jesus removes your spiritual Lowell’s Syndrome
When Jesus warns that “in the same way you judge others, you will be judged” and warns of seeing “the speck of sawdust” in another’s eye while missing the plank in our own (Matt. 7:1–3), could he not be referring to the spiritual equivalent of Lowell’s syndrome? Over and over, we “see” faults in others because we don’t want to believe anything better about them. And so often we think we have a first-hand view of their shortcomings, when in fact our vision is distorted by our own disease.
Jesus removes our spiritual Lowell’s syndrome through his perfect life, substitutionary death, ressurection, ascension, and outpouring of his Spirit. When we repent and confess our sin, he not only forgives us, but he empowers us with His Spirit. You have the mind and heart of Jesus in you. His Spirit testifies of our Lord, clarifies God’s word, his truth, his instruction, so we can understand and obey it. He gives us the right eyes to see our brokenness in each other, and how hope of restoration in Christ. He enables us to live the good life now in God’s kingdom with humility, grace and love.
This spiritual trifecta helps our heart both give and receive correction. Through the lens of humility, grace and love, we can look at ourselves in the spiritual mirror and see our brokenness for what it is, an offense to our God. And yet, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can remove the plank in our eye and experience the redemption Jesus offers us through his death and ressurection.
Through the same lens of humility, grace and love, we can also receive correction. Jesus gives us ears to hear the wisdom to forsake sin, turn and repent, and be restored. We can see our brothers and sisters who are willing to carry this burden with us as instruments of grace with great pearls of wisdom that turn us back to our Lord and help us to remain in the kingdom. Jesus removes our bulging veins of pride that distorts the sin of others, and heals us with new eyes of humility, grace, and love that aims to judge ourselves and our brothers and sisters rightly.