Judging the Dogs

Intro.

It is one of the single most abused phrases in all the Bible. We hear it from the people outside of the Church, and we often hear it from the immature within the Church as well: “The Bible says, ‘Do not judge!’”

Technically, this statement is true! Jesus does say, “Do not judge.” However, the legitimacy of this rebuke is lost when we realize this is not the end of the teaching.

Nestled within the context of the Sermon on the Mount and immediately following a teaching on worry, Jesus makes the statement, “Judge not, so that you will not be judged.” But, does this phrase mean that there is nothing that a Christian is supposed to judge? Are we sinning with every judgement call we make regarding a person?

To Judge, or Not to Judge

Matthew 7:1–6 UASV

1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For with the judgment you are judging you will be judged, and by what measure you are measuring, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? 5 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. 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Judge not, so that you will not be judged

On its face, Jesus would appear to be saying that we are not permitted to make any kind of judgement at all. However, having read the passage in its entirety, it should be clear that there is more to tell regarding this doctrine.

Jesus warns us that the same standard of judgement we use will be used against us. Therefore, we ought to endeavor to make judgements according to the right standard.

The Plank and the Speck

John 7:23–24 LSB

23 “If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

When Jesus was facing the Pharisees once again over healing a man on the Sabbath, they judged Him a wicked man for working on the divinely given day of rest. Yet, Jesus corrects their way of thinking. They did not understand that all work was prohibited on the Sabbath, but that the needs of mankind were both permissible and expected to be met. A boy would be circumcised, so that the Law would not be broken; therefore, the healing of a man to the glory of God was not to be prohibited either.

The Pharisees saw the outward effort on a day where it was generally not permitted to do anything. They saw the outward, while God teaches us to look more deeply. Therefore, Jesus says:

John 7:24 LSB

24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

In Matthew 7, Jesus does not condemn acknowledging that there is something in a brother that needs removed. Rather, He explains to us how we may be fit to remove it.

Jesus compares noticing what is effectively a single speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye, whilst you still do not handle the full sized plank in your own. Then, he calls it hypocrisy to try to remove the speck without removing the plank.

Why? Because I person who does not acknowledge his own imperfections and put effort toward correcting them cannot point out the sin in someone else.

Therefore, Jesus says “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck.”

You will note that Jesus authorizes the removal of the speck, and speaks of it as an expectation.

The Dogs and the Swine

After this remark, Jesus says something someone peculiar:

Matthew 7:6 LSB

6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

This is another fairly controversial passage, but we we have to acknowledge that it exists in the same context as the the teaching on judging. Jesus does not seem to move on yet until verse 7.

So, we have to ask, what does this have to do with the teaching of judging?

If it correctly belongs in this section, then we can see “that which is holy” and the “pearls” are this correction toward righteousness.

Proverbs 9:7–8 “7 He who disciplines a scoffer receives disgrace for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man receives injury for himself. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you.”

Who are these “dogs” and “swine”? They are those who will not accept any correction toward truth.

How do we know that they will not accept the correction? Going off of the John 7 passage, we cannot assume as much by what is outwardly recognizable. We must make that judgement according to righteousness and truth.

How would that be so? If they have proven to be resistant to the Word of Christ already. This means that there is nobody to whom we can look then refuse to teach.

Not goths

not flamboyant gays

not Muslims

not Buddhists

not Catholics or Orthodox

not atheists.

The only way we can know that a person is this sort is by trying to reach them, and being rejected multiple times. At such a time, we need no longer tr