Twisted Scripture Matthew 7

Matthew 7

The twisted Scripture we are covering today is one of the most misquoted verses in all the Bible. But there is some good that comes from this. It makes it really easy to know if someone even studies the Bible when they do misquote this verse. Because, if our world is correct, then we are simply supposed to let people live their lives as they wish without any resistance. Ask any parent if they can raise a good child with that approach. Not only is this not possible, to exist without one existence brushing up against another, but as Christians we are not called to keep silent. Not only are we to preach the Gospel, which is contrary to our sinful nature, we are also to disciple one another. Discipleship brings with it, accountability, the sharpening of one another, and guidance. All the things our world calls judgement is what is essential for our growth as Christians. Which means, our world has hijacked the word, judgement and redefined it. It is our job to understand what Jesus is commanding us here in light of the rest of Scripture.

Matthew 7:1

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

If we are lucky people will quote verse 2 Matthew 7:1-2

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

Verse 2 does offer us some important context. But it is never thrown out there with the purpose of context. When this verse is quoted, what they are really doing is attempting to make an argument from authority. They are calling upon the Bible as an authority, for the purpose of supporting their choices without any accountability. “Who are you to judge me?” The answer? I am a nobody. A fellow sinner who makes his own mistakes. But if we take a moment to address this fictional interaction, what is happening? I will be the person who has “Judged” and you be the person who has replied with Matthew 7. I have addressed a sin or an action which is destructive, you reply with, “The Bible says to not judge, who are you to judge me?” What has just happened? You have just judged me about judging you. You have just committed the same wrong doing. You judged me for judging. How dare you! So, we can go in a circle if you like. I can accuse you of judging me for judging you. Making me wrong yet again in your eyes since I have judged you for judging me by judging you. On and on we go until the day we die, to face God who will judge us both. So, what we will do is read the entire context of Matthew 7:1. But first, I want to do a little exercise. Based upon our world’s redefinition of judgement, can we take a look at some of the judgmental things Jesus said?

Matthew 23:27-28

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Woe to you is a warning of impending condemnation. Jesus is warning them that continuing on this same path with lead to eternal damnation due to their conduct. That is pretty judgmental Jesus. Then He calls them white washed tombs. He says that on the outside you look holy and perfect but on the inside you are dead. This is offensive even today. To call someone beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside is offensive.

When the disciples were on the road to Emmaus following the resurrection Jesus appears to them and they do not recognize him. Just before their eyes are opened Jesus says this, Luke 24:25

25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Or what about this zinger?

John 8:44a

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

We all have something we have said in the past which we are not proud of. We have all said something mean to someone else. But I am sure many of us did not call someone a child of Satan. From the very mouth of Jesus, the who said, Judge not, it would appear by our culture’s standard, Jesus is pretty judgmental. If we can simplify this miscommunication; our culture has redefined judgment and confused it with condemnation. So, here is where our task lies: the truth is the truth no matter how it is taken. It is our responsibility to do our due diligence in communicating the truth with as much grace and love we can muster. We need to make sure we are above reproach when speaking the truth. Jesus rebuked people, Jesus taught people, Jesus said nothing apart from His desire for those listening to be saved.

1. Let’s go back to Matthew 7 and read the verse in its context. After that I would like to then compare it to James 4 as we go deeper into understanding judgment in the life of a believer.

a. Matthew 7:1-5

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why 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? 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.

Verse two gives us a very important warning. For with the judgment, you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. This warning emphasizes our need to extend Grace. To be slow to judge. Now, what I mean by that is two-fold and one of the reasons is found in the next 3 verses. 3Why 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? 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. First, an important point to make here is verse 5, “And then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” This is what is lost, we do not leave the speck in our brother’s eye. What kind of Discipleship leaves out our need for continuous repentance as believers? What kind of evangelism leaves out our need for a Savior? This brings us to the second point, we cannot, with clean hands, call others to repentance when repentance is not active in our lives first. We cannot call others to fight against sin when we have waived the white flag to our own. The first thing that must happen is a serious personal reflection. Our lives as Christians are to be marked with this prayer, “LORD search my heart and examine my life.” Under the Old Covenant the animal was laid on the altar in sacrifice to God. In Romans 12 Paul writes exhorting Christians to offer their lives as living Sacrifices. In light of Matthew 7, we are to lay ourselves upon the altar, on a regular basis. By doing so, we will be able to address the speck in another’s eye because A) we have humbly brought the plank in our eye to the LORD and B) we will understand what we are calling them to do as well. We will have lived what we are calling them to do. We will understand the fear, the frustration, the discouragement, and the joy of laying yourself on that altar. We will be able to speak with Grace and Mercy. This must be done, because we are not to leave our brothers and sisters alone with anything in their eye. We must love people enough to tell them, “This is destructive behavior! This is pulling you away from God.” I cannot call you a brother or sister, if you would leave me to my sin. To be OK with someone walking away from God is no brother. To leave people alone and left to be damned because you do not want to be called judgmental, is not loving.

b. This action that our world has deemed the unforgivable sin, to judge, has been redefined. Like Inigo Montoya to Vizzini, “You keep using that word. I do not think it mean what you think it means.” I think James 4 will help us to gain more understanding of Judgement. James 4:11-12

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

I believe it is clear that the context within James is the relationship between two individuals who are in Christ, Brothers or sisters. What I find most interesting are some of the verses leading up to verse 11. James 4:1-4

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

It would appear that James is being judgmental. “You adulterous people” in verse 4 and then in verse 8 he calls the readers “sinners” and “double-minded.” Now in verse 11 he calls them “brothers.” He then goes on to say, “Who are you to judge your neighbor.” I believe the point James makes here will help us understand what Jesus said in Matthew 7. When I read James 4, I had to examine my own heart because I know the post that God has called me to as a Pastor, is to refute false teaching. Taking the example of Paul and John who named names. They warned people to avoid false teachers and then they named them. To say, “Avoid these men!” If that is what we are to do and as a Pastor, I am required to to do so, how can I without Judgement? We can’t. No one can.

c. But here is where James brings clarity. It is not judgment as a whole which is condemned. Its judgement with. Let me explain. James writes of judgement with slander. This is why I had to examine my own heart because to call someone a false teacher who is not so, is slander. James says in verse 11, “Do not speak evil against.” This word in the Greek is kat-al-al-eh'-o which is also translated? Slander. It means, to speak against one, to criminate, traduce. To lie about someone. To lie, accuse a brother of something which is not true is sin. It is not the judgement itself; it is the judgement with. It is what follows the with that defines the judgement.

2. That may sound a little confusing. Judgement with slander. Judgement with pride. Judgement with envy.

a. Going back to Matthew 7 Jesus helps us understand this as well. Matthew 7:15-20

15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Jesus warns against false prophets, how are we to discern? We are to judge their fruit. We are to examine their lives, their teaching, and judge whether or not they are with us. To judge with slander is wrong. To judge with discernment. To judge with Grace. Too judge with mercy is Biblical. We have talked about this before Acts 17:10-11

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

What did they do? They judged Paul with discernment and they were praised! These people were not condemned for judging Paul’s teaching because what follows the with determines the judgement. To use discernment and judge a teacher, judge a sin, or to judge the fruit is not wrong. Now it must be done to ourselves first. We covered that. We have to address that plank in our own eye first, remember? But we cannot exist as a family without judging. We cannot exist in this world at all without judging. You who are members here became members because you judged our church. You judged with discernment and came to the conclusion this is the church you want to call home, to call a family. You were not wrong is doing that. You did not sin in doing that. In fact, by not doing that, you have sinned. To not test. To not judge what is being taught. To go about your Christian faith with hands up and not with hands on, you are in the wrong. To go about your walk with your hands off, you cannot say you love me or anyone else. You do not love me enough to confront me? You do not love me enough to warn me of a destructive behavior? But our world takes the opposite approach. To be hands on. To be involved. To care for someone else and their life is judgmental and therefore evil. If that is the case then, my wife hates me. My Elder’s hate me. My own mother and father hate me. Because they have taken an interest in my life and how I conduct myself. Do you see how foolish that sounds? I mean, how can I, as your Pastor, say I love you and not be hands on? A Pastor who will not address sin, who will not disciple, who will not hold accountable those he is responsible for cannot dare say he loves his flock. Love drives us into the fray, not away from it. Love calls to step in, not flee. Love leads us to confront and have those uncomfortable conversations. But it is done with the discerning judgement. It is done first by examining ourselves. Inviting God the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and our lives. It begins with laying ourselves on the altar. When we are putting ourselves to death every single day. When we are dying to ourselves day in and day out, then we can confront a brother or sister with sincere Grace and Love.

b. This is what Jesus warns us of in Matthew 7. Do you know why? To judge with slander, to judge with envy, to judge with strife is to do what James says, which is to reject the Law of God. The Law, which is good. We reject it, by doing so we reject Christ. Why? Because only Christ can judge with perfect judgement. Only Christ can do so completely above reproach and only He is worthy of such a job. He has no “with.” Our judgement must be followed with discernment and with grace because we are sinful creatures. Only Christ can Judge and that be it because He is love, He is Grace, He is Mercy. We are not. We have to be intentional about what follows the “with.” Jesus clearly is warning us, know your place dear child. You are not the judge of the wicked and the righteous. Your hands carry filthy rags of righteousness. You have no place to simply judge and be in the right. You cannot condemn a single person because you stand condemned in your own righteousness.

c. This is why, what follows the “with” keeps us in check. We will not forget who we are. We are one sinner approaching another sinner about their sin, which we are not above. We have our own sin. We have our own fight. To treat a brother or sister as though we are some arbiter of their sin is dangerously wrong. I would argue, it is evil. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Dear brother and sister, don’t you ever forget your washing. Don’t you ever forget that you were made clean by the Work of Jesus Christ alone. You did not earn any of your salvation. Don’t you ever forget where God found you. By our own righteousness, God should have left us in the ditch He found us in. When we were enemies of God, He desired to make us a sons and daughters. Don’t you every forget the washing you are still going through. The Holy Spirit who sanctifies you in the LORD. You and I did not deserve what we were given. The gift of our salvation, which was bought by the blood of God Himself, was a gift given to us. A gift given to a Stiff-necked, rebellious, adulterous people. Don’t you forget, He wanted you, even when you did not want Him.

Because, to forget this, will make you blindly self-righteous. You will become someone unfit for discipleship. You will even disqualify yourself for the prize which is for the children of God, because you have rejected Christ as judge and have placed yourself in His judgement seat. That is what Jesus is warning us of in Matthew 7. Go to your brother, go to your sister, and go to the unrepentant world because you love them. Go because you have judged their fruit with discernment and mercy. Go because you love them. Dear brothers and sisters, do not forget where Christ found you and where He keeps finding you, as He keeps rescuing you from the clutches of sin in your life. We cannot forget, because we cannot forget Him. Who He is, our Savior, our rescuer, our Great High Priest, our redeemer, our mediator, our Father, and our God. The warning we are given in Matthew 7, and in all of Scripture, do not dare attempt to take His seat of Judgement from Him. We must real ourselves in, what follows the “with” defines the judgement.