Sawdust and Logs - Judging Others

A number of years back, a young and very successful executive was travelling down a suburban street in his brand new black jaguar. Suddenly a brick was thrown from the sidewalk, thumping into the side of the car.

Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. The driver jumped out, grabbed the kid who had thrown the brick and pushed him up against a parked car. "What was that all about?!" he screamed. "That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money!"

"Please, mister, please .... I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!" pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me."

The mood was transformed in a moment as the young executive realized what had occurred. He lifted the young man into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts. He then watched as the younger brother pushed him down the sidewalk toward their home.

Unfortunately, that story is all too common. Without knowing all the facts, we all make judgments about people all the time. And what is really unfortunate is that judgments like that are all too common in the church.

The Christian church has a bad reputation as a bunch of judgmental hypocrites don’t we? I’ve had too many conversations with people who have been hurt by the church because of the unfair judgments and condemnation they have felt. And there are way too many people out there who have vowed to never set foot in a church because they don’t want the first thing to do with such a group. That is a tragedy - a tragedy that Jesus spoke about in Luke chapter 6:37-42.

Luke 6:37-42
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 to you."
39 He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ’Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Here Jesus says essentially says – how do you want to be treated? Then treat others in that way. “Do you want to be judged” “No” “Well don’t judge others”. “Do you want to be condemned?” “Of course not.” “Then don’t condemn others.” “Do you want to be forgiven”?,“Yes,” “then forgive others” If we want people to treat us with respect we need to treat them with respect also. What ever the measure is that we give to people, it will be returned in like kind. Treat others how you want them to treat you.

This is probably one of the most well known passages in non-Christian circles. It is used by all sorts of people who accuse Christians of being wrongly judgmental. “How dare you say my actions, my lifestyle, my choices are sinful? Didn’t Jesus say ‘do not judge’?”

How do we respond? Is this teaching of Jesus really meant to keep us from saying anything is right or wrong? Should we join our culture in buying into the new definition of “tolerance” which means accepting all opinions, thoughts, actions as equally valid? NO! But if we’re to know when it is appropriate to judge and when it is not we will have to lift our focus from just this passage to see the bigger picture of the New Testament’s teaching on this subject. Only then will we be able to confidently apply Jesus’ teaching correctly.

I believe that a proper Biblical understanding of this issue leads us to the conclusion that the Christian’s “default” stance toward others is to be one of FORGIVENESS AND MERCY, not JUDGING AND CONDEMNING. Nevertheless, there are certain times when Christians are called upon to judge. Let’s spend some time looking at this question …

When are Christians NOT to judge?

1. Christians are not to pass judgment on people for their MORAL FAILURES. (Luke 6:37-38, Rom. 2:1-5)

Rom. 2:1-5 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

Here Paul writes to us that when we pass judgment on others for their inability to follow God’s law - we’re doing two things.
a. We’re really showing CONTEMPT for God and His ways of leading people to repentance - through kindness, tolerance, and patience.

In effect we’re saying - God, since you’re taking too long to bring discipline upon this person - I’ll give you a bit of hand!

b. We’re storing up WRATH against ourselves - for as Jesus said back in Luke 6 “... with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Instead of passing judgment on people when they fail - Jesus clear command is that we forgive them and that we offer the same mercy that God offers us.

2. Christians are not to judge other Christians regarding DISPUTABLE MATTERS. (Rom. 14:1-10)
Rom 14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

There were all sorts of things that God-fearing people in Paul’s day disagreed upon. Was the “sabbath” more holy than other days? Was it OK to eat meat from animals who had been sacrificed to idols?

Paul’s point to them - and to us - was that on matters like this it was much more important for people to follow their CONSCIENCE than to impose their conscience upon someone else.

Is it OK to drink alcohol in moderation? Is it permissible to go to the movies? To gamble? To drive over the speed limit? What about theological debates? Must we all agree on exactly how the end times will play themselves out? What role can women play in ministry? Which version of the Bible is the best?

Paul here is continuing Jesus’ theme that it is NOT our job or our role to judge and condemn people for their opinions and accompanying actions on such disputable matters - matters of conscience. Why because we will all stand before God’s judgement seat and answer for our own actions.

3. Christians are not to judge people’s HIDDEN MOTIVES. (1 Cor 4:5)

1Cor. 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

We don’t know what other’s motives are so we can’t judge their actions.

ILLUS: A supermarket check-out clerk in America once wrote to an advice-columnist to complain that she had seen people buy "luxury" food items—like expensive birthday cakes and bags of prawns—with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who treated themselves to such non-necessities were "lazy and wasteful."

A few weeks later the columnist devoted an entire column to people who had responded to the check-out clerk. One woman wrote:

“I didn’t buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of prawns with food stamps. So what? My husband had been working at a plant for fifteen years when it shut down. The prawn casserole I made was for our wedding anniversary dinner and lasted us three days. Perhaps the supermarket attendant who criticized that woman would have a different view of life after walking a mile in my shoes.”

Another woman wrote:
“I’m the woman who bought the $17 cake and paid for it with food stamps. I thought the check-out woman in the store would burn a hole through me with her eyes. What she didn’t know is the cake was for my little girl’s birthday. It will be her last. She has bone cancer and will probably be gone within six to eight months.”

There is no way any of us can know exactly why someone is doing something. We can save ourselves - and other people - a lot of grief by quitting altogether trying to figure out people’s hidden motives for behavior - and instead love and accept them.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly...
4. Christians are not to judge UNBELIEVERS. (1 Cor. 5:12-13, John 3:17)

1Cor. 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Even Jesus did not come to condemn the world. He came to save it not condemn it. It this is true, then what business is it of ours to condemn people? The scripture is clear - the role of Christians is to love, accept, forgive unbelievers - and through our kindness lead them to a point of repentance for their sins.

Again we must remember that God’s way of dealing with disobedience is with patience, kindness, and tolerance - with the hope that they will some day come to repentance before it is too late. As His representatives - Christians must do the same.

In each of these passages we are reminded that God alone is the judge of people. He alone knows the motives of people’s hearts. He alone knows the proper time for judgment, and the perfectly just response to sin.

When are Christians to judge?
And yet still, the question hangs out there - are there not some appropriate times for disciples of Christ to judge others? The answer is YES - but we have a very short leash!

1. Christians are to use the MIND OF CHRIST to make judgements about ALL THINGS . (1 Cor. 2:15-16)

1Cor. 2:15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

The spiritual man - that is - the man, woman, or child, who is filled with the Holy Spirit through their relationship with God - walks through life constantly seeking the mind of Christ for what is right and wrong. We know what is right and wrong because the Holy Spirit guides the consciences of those who are truly “spiritual”.

2. Christians are to judge OURSELVES. (1 Cor 11:31-32)

1Cor. 11:31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Paul calls upon us to judge ourselves. To examine the things we do, say, and think, in the light of God’s word, and in the light of the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

This is what I believe Jesus was getting at when he said “get the plank out of your own eye before you go around pointing out the piece of sawdust in other people’s eyes!” The focus of our judging is to be our own actions, rather than the actions of others!

If we judge ourselves - and confess our sin to him - we no longer have to worry about the judgment to come.

3. The church is to judge UNREPENTED SIN among those who claim to be Christians. (1 Cor. 5:1-5)

1Cor. 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you [remember he is writing to the church in Corinth here], and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

Here Paul gives an example of someone who is claiming to be a Christian, but who is engaged in sexual relations with his step mother. Such activity clearly comes under those things that God has already condemned. It is wrong.

There really is right and wrong. The Bible gives us clear guidance about how we are to live our lives. The 10 Commandments give clear guidance about things like stealing, worshiping idols, and coveting. There is no need for further debate about such things. God has spoken. And when people claim to be Christians and yet go against the clear law of God - discipline is necessary to bring them back into the fold. At such a time, it is not only our right to judge the behavior of fellow Christians, but it is our loving responsibility to do so.

But always in love - and with restoration, not punishment, as the goal. At such times the focus must be on the clearly stated word of God and the actions that person has done which go against that command. And if all goes well the person receives the loving rebuke with humility, repents, and is freely offered support and encouragement and love from those who have had to bring up the issue. That is the way God wants it to happen!

CONCLUSION
How and when do you judge others? Our Vision statement states that we are striving to be the family of God and bring others into the family of God. Being in a family involves:

mutual accountability - keeping each other on the right track when it comes to clearly delineated sin.

forgiveness and mercy - when people in our fellowship have moral failings, and when people who are unbelievers act like unbelievers, we allow God to be in charge of their judgment, and we fulfill our role as dispensers of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love.

freedom - to disagree on disputable matters, and to allow people to form their own convictions about how they will practice their faith.

In a family, love must be the overarching principle not judgment.

For those outside our family, we need to be careful how we judge them. Don’t judge moral failures, because we fail in these ways too. Don’t judge motives because you are not walking in their shoes. And don’t expect non Christians to live up to the standards that you have as Christians. They don’t have the truth. They don’t have God’s standard so let’s not judge, but shower them with forgiveness, grace and mercy so that they are drawn in repentance to a God who desires so much to forgive them.