don't judge

and as you read this command from Jesus if you are like me you start to think well I’ve already messed that up. This idea of not passing judgement on anyone for anything is so prevelent.

Even this week I was enjouying roman noodles with a friend of mine and he looks at me and says hey, this is just friends having lunch so if I slurp these and get messy

Don’t judge me

and my response is good for you I can’t becasue I am preaching about that on Sunday.

He laughned and so did I but here is what I know is true. Judgement whether giving it out or being on the reciving end of it is anything but a laughbuale matter

When Jesus says don’t judge it is fair to ask what does he mean? What was happening in his day when he said that? and How does that inform us in the world we live in today.

Let’s read Matthew 7:1-6

Matthew 7:1–6 ESV

“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. 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. “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.

Near the end of a sermon Jesus was giving on the mountain he introduces the last part of his sermon.

So far Jesus has reminded people who will be blessed in this life, he has taught people how to pray, he has helped us understand God as father, reminded people not to treasure money and even encouraged those who struggle with worry and anxiety.

and it’s in the context of those truths Jesus begins to teach on judgement.

When Jesus says Judge not, t

he is not saying a christian can never Judge. In fact there are many places in scriputre Christians are called to judge. But what he is getting at here is there is a right way to judge and a wrong way to judge

The people Jesus is adressing in this sermon where judging in the wrong way

They were passing judgement. They were believing the worst about others. They where pointing out every single sin someone had and condemning them for it.

They would see someone and make a final verdict on that person life. We actually see this kind of judgement happen with Jesus own disciples in John 9

Let’s look at this together.

John 9:1–2 ESV

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

This is a really helpful passage for us today. Because as we think of the teachings of Jesus it is always helpful to look at the person of Jesus and how he actaully lived

Jesus and his disciples are walking on a road and he sees a blind man. John gives us an insight this man had been blind since birth

and John even tells us the first thing Jesus does. John says Jesus saw the man.

That’s it. He looked at him. And he actually saw a person not just a problem to be fixed or a situaion to be explained. It’s almost like Jesus is stoping long enough to actually see someone for who they are

And apparently he stands long enough the disicples begin to get anxious. They do what I often do. They speak up and ask Jesus a question

Who sinned? The man or his parents?

It’s a quesiton I probablly would have asked. I would want to understand why is this man blind.

Where Jesus paused long enoujgh to have compassion on the man the disciples start to judge the man in a way Jesus would say we shouldn’t

Where Jesus saw a man, the disciiples saw a catergory

The man is an object to them. Something to be explained away. And I really apperciate the honesty of John as he writes this sstory.

becuase we learn pretty quickly the discples are pretty rude. They don’t even ask the guy. They aren’t curious of his perspective.

They ask the question with the man right in front of them but not to him.

They have cast the final verdict on this guy. They don’t even ask Jesus how can we help, what can we do, what is the best way to come alongside him.

No they judge. And Judgement always clouds our vision.

When we judge in this way we don’t see cleary. It’s why Jesus says in Matthew 7:2-3

Matthew 7:2–3 ESV

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 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?

He is saying in matthew when we are quick to codemn. QUick to put people in a catergory and harsh with our judgement on them

we need to know we will be Judged in the same way

If we condemn and shame others we must be prepared that all we do in secret all we do in private will be made knwon. That our own hypcrosis will be appaereant to others pretty quickly.

This is becasue we can’t see clearly. Jesus is actaully pretty funny in how he describes our attempt to judge in this way.

He says sure there is something in your brothers eye. It’s a piece of saw dust. It’s a splinter and they need help but becasue you actually are casting judgement on them and not even willing to examine your own life your vision is gone

your ability to help them is also forfieted.

The log example is pretty ridoclous in itself but it drives home the point. When I was talking to Ross our pastor this week about this passage he told me years ago he taught on this idea. He made googles and put a long pole thorugh it. Then he put the googles on had the law pole looking like it was coming out of his eye

andn then he starting pointing at people in the congergation and naming theirs “sins” it was only an example I don’t think he actually named the sins he knew aobut but he look reallly really funny doing it

Don’t worry we aren’t going to do this today. But you get the picture. A log not only clouds your visions but it prevents you from being close enough to actually help someone.

When we judge in a codeming way we lose the ability to see people the way Jesus does.

When we judge in this way we often overstate the negitive. The things we say might have a grain of truth in it but instead of belveing the best in someone we highlight the worse in them

bringing condemnation and shame on them and ourselves.

There is a distance a space we began to create with oursleves and someone else. And in some ways this distance can feel safe

Judging begins with me being distant- pride -above them, I might make a statement that’s even true, I feel good about it.

we feel like we are protecting ourselves from whatever is wrong with the person or people we are codemnig

but don’t miss it. When we judge in this way we sin. And we can be sure of this sin always seperates. it seperates us God and seperates us from others.

but this is in fact dangerous for our own souls. IN John 9 the disciples thought they were safe. They were with Jesus. They were casting their judgment and they could get their answer

They were brining their best to Jesus and highlighitng what they thought was the worse thing about the blind man(someone sinned to cause him to be blind)

but they missed it

and I realate to that becasue I often miss it. Maybe it’s something we have in common with Jesus disciples

The disciples sit above the man. Naming his sins and keeping there distance. They are preacticing a sort of self righoutouness

Paul miller said “When we judge incorrectly We put oversells in the place of GOD and conclude the journey.” That’s what the disciples had done. They look at this man and think he will always be blind. But When we see people and we blevie God is at work

“People become a center for surprise. There is opportunity and possibility things can change”

Paul miller

and that’s how I want to live. when I come in contact with people I want to believe God is at work. If he can raise the dead to life, he can change this person.

What keeps me from this

in my own life is I like the discples of Jesus in john have a pretty high capticity for self rightousnessness

In order to see people the way Jesus does. To walk with his compassion and to even make correct judgements I need his help.

It’s what he says John 15:5

John 15:5 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

We truly can’t do anything apart from him. So in order not to judge we need his help. He is more than able and absoulty willing to help us when we come to him.

and in order to help somone with the speck in their own eye we need Jesus’ to help us with the log in our own eye. Maybe this morning we start to look within we start to examine our own lives

Keller says it this way

“Unless your sins loom large to you, unless you see your sins as greater than other people’s sins, you’re not going to be able to help them with theirs.

and as we do we allow Jesus to deal with the log in our own eye. The log that looks ridicoulus, the log that blinds us from seeing clearing, the log that keeps us from helping others with the splinter in their eye

If we fail to see just how far gone we are. Just how much we need his mercy. Just how much we need his help.If we don’t allow him to help us with the log in our own eye. He doesn’t mince words. Jesus calls us a hypocrite in verse 5

Matthew 7:5 ESV

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.

but as he helps us with the log in our own eye. We began to see Jesus more clearly. We began to see his beatuy, his grace, his mercy and this allows us to actaully help others.

because when someone has a splinter in their own eye they do need help.

If you have ever had any sort of eye sugery before you want the doctor to be careful, you want them to be precise, you want them to actually have good vision themselves. It’s at that point they have a chance to help you with your own vision.

at Rivertree our mission is to help one another know Jesus by sharing the gospel and our lives

but the only way we can actaully help others is when we allow Jesus to help us.

If we sit in Gods seat of judgement, putting ourselves above people we will miss the chance to actaully share life

we will miss the chance for peole to know Jesus

and we will miss the oppurtunity to help one anotehr.

but Jesus offers us a better oppurtunity. When Jesus says don’t judge he doesn’t mean a christian should never have discerment abou tsomething

no we are called to think clearly about things. But the way of Jesus offers us the oppurnity to move closer, to see people the way Jesus does, and to see lives transfomred.

And it’s at these moments Gods work allows people to become centers of suprise. Not only for us but for the world watching.

It’s actaully what we see Nthan doing with King David in the old testmant.

Nathan knows David has sinned. he wants to come alonggside him and help him. He discerns correctly about davids sin but instead of moving away. Instead of judging and thinking davids life is finished he moves close. To challenge him, but also to gently restore him.

When david is at the lowest point of his life Nthan comes close.

and he tells him a story

2 Samuel 12:1–6 ESV

And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

Nathans life is posture in such a place of humilty where God can send him to gently restore David.

As Nathan tells David the story about a rich man with huge flocks of sheep. and how bad the rich man had acted to the poor man

David burns with anger. He says we must kill this man and then repay the other man fourfold.

Davids log in his own eye is clouding his visoin. It’s clouding his judgement. David hasn’t seen clearly for a long time.

but becasue nathan had allowed God to work in his own life he is availabe and able to help david

the next verse with me.

2 Samuel 12:7 ESV

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

Nathan says David you are that man. Or in other words. David stop looking at the speck in someone elses eye and it’s time to get the log out of your own eye.

but what I lvoe is Nathan doesn’t move away. He doesn’t judge david. No he helps him. And sure enough there is a beatiful suprise he gets to share with Daivd

and David comes to the point of repentence becasue of the care of nathan and the grace of God

2 Samuel 12:13 ESV

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

what a beautiful moment Nathan got to share in with David. Yes his sin was great but Gods mercy was more!

Nathan had tremendous courage, amazing discerment stayed in it long enough to be able to help David see God and Gods mercy clearly again.

It’s from this moment David would pen Psalm 51

Psalm 51 ESV

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

I know for some here today. You’ve walked around with a log in your eye for far to long. YOu’ve been quick to judge, your capticity for self righoutsness is high. But thier is something in your life that’s hurt your vision, you capticity to see. and really even your ability to see the beauty of Jesus.

This log is a heavy burnden and if your becoming aware of it today. You may wonder what do I do with it?

Know Jesus sees you. He loves you and he can help you. The one without any sin actaully moves close to you and he sees you

he has compassion on you

and here is his invation to you

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

and if the spirit of God is helping you become aware of this log today. Come to Jesus ask for help, he surley will do it. and allow him to remind you he came so you could be forgiven of your sin. So that you would know your condemnation is done.

When jesus went to the cross. He went for that log. He went for the speak. he died so we could be free of Gods jdugement and condemnation and in our freedom we would see him more clearly.

and as we see him more clearly we would see others more clearly. No longer playing the part of God. But instead coming to them and telling them about a God who lvoes them, sees them, knows the pain they are walking in and is ready to give them grace and mercy

However, Jesus does let us know in the last part of the sermon some will still reject the gospel

and as Jesus concludes this part of the sermon he says something which is suprising, challenign and even a little confusing.

He has just said judge not. and a few sentences later look at what he says

Matthew 7:6 ESV

“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.

that’s a little strange. It caused me to pause for a moment. moving from all the wonderful ways Jesus has described people in scripture to this seems like a pretty sharpe turn

It might even cause us to pause and ask did Jesus just call people dogs, and pigs?

and the answer is Yes. He really did say that. So we’ve got to try and udnerstand why he said this

Throughout Christian history the Gospel has been considered a treasure and been described as pearls.

what he is saying is there is a way we might share the gospel that people won’t be able to handle

For as long as I can remember peole have had all sorts of ideas on how we can share the gospel

whether it’s an interent campaing or a youtube video, or a social media post some have thought that will do it.

Maybe it’s a billboard that says Jesus saves on it.

and while all those might come from a good place it might not be helpful as we would hope

If you put pearls before pigs the result is not good. They eat them and can’t digest them

in the same way if we Just make the gospel a platitude or it’s on a tshirt people might not know what to do with that.

What Jesus is inviting us to do. Is to recive his mercy. To allow him to take the log out of our own eye and see his beatuy

and as we are captured by the beatuy of Chrst

we do more.

we c move clsoe.

so we can have compassion on those who don’t know Christ, to hear there stories, to love them well and to take the time. The care, the compassion to help them with the speck in their own eyes.

and that can be one of the greatest joys we ever get to expierecne

but when Jesus says this it also frees us. It helps us know there are times we are going share the gospel faitfully and people will reject it. We think they are rejecting us and we wonder if I jsut say more, do more, reason better I can see them changed.

But Jesus is helping us be reminded we can’t bring the change people ultimently need only God can. So we can rest. We can trust and we can realize it’s all Christ. It’s him who does it.

It’s not us. It’s not our power, it is not our wisdom. It is Christ. and that’s where we put our hope this morning.

He is our only hope

The only way we are going live out the command to Judge not is when we are humbled into the grace of Christ. When we see the gospel and we give up everything to allow it to get into us.

that’s when we can expierence real and true freedom.

Let’s pray

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