Matthew 7:1-6
Textual Introduction: Most commentaries begin their discussion of this passage with an attempt to explain what it doesn’t mean. That’s because it’s so easy to misunderstand.
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Josh McDowell was speaking to gathering of Baptist pastors when he told them that John 3:16 was no longer the most frequently quoted verse from the Bible. He claimed it had been replaced by “Judge not.” I don’t know how he arrived at that quotation quotient but he has a point. Question someone’s behavior and you’re likely to hear “Judge not.”
Most of those quoting the verse argue that none of us has a right to assess the behavior of another person. This means we are abandoning a notion which has been at the heart of Western morality and ethics for centuries, the notion that some behavior is not only preferable to other behavior; it is morally superior to that behavior.
Is this what Jesus meant as he stood on that hillside teaching those who had become curious about him? Was Leo Tolstoy right in saying this verse required Christians to seek the abolishment of law courts? Is every form of behavior to be accepted and even approved since to do otherwise would be judging? Can every argument challenging the propriety of a lifestyle that violates historic Christian morality be ended with the simple question, “Who are we to judge?”
It seems rather clear that Jesus was not calling his followers to abandon discernment. How else would we determine the identity of those “dogs” to which we are not to give that which is sacred? How would we know those “pigs” before which we are not to throw our pearls? The warning to “watch out for false prophets,” which follows in 7:15, seems to suggest a need for discernment. It is necessary to do some “judging” to separate the true from the false prophets, to evaluate the quality of their fruit.
That being said, this command still forbids an attitude which is fundamentally censorious, critical, and condemning. The idea seems to be that of setting oneself up as a Judge over another, a Judge who pictures himself/herself beyond reproach. Jesus seems to have intended what he said in the Sermon of the Mount to contrast with the behavior of the Pharisees. They often condemned others while thinking they had no faults of their own.
Such judges need to remember that the tough standards they apply to others will be applied to them. A far better attitude toward the faults and failings in others and in ourselves is seen in Jesus’ next word picture.
Mt 7:3 “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?
Mt 7:4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
Mt 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Only that person who has gone through the painful process of self-evaluation and done what was necessary to achieve wholeness stands ready to deal with the flaws of another. Only such a person will have the patience and compassion to deal with another on the road to wholeness.
So, how do we answer the question, “Who are we to judge?” The answer seems to be, we are to judge ourselves. But that isn’t easy. It is far easier to judge others. And, far more fun.
John Stott describes the kind of person who inspired Jesus’ comment:
The censorious critic is a fault-finder who is negative and destructive toward other people and enjoys actively seeking out their failings. He puts the worst possible construction on their motives…and is ungenerous toward their mistakes.
Every one of us has known such people. When the pastor of Sunday school teacher talks about a passage which disapproves of certain forms of behavior, these folks always have a list of names to offer to make the discussion more interesting. They spoil an otherwise fine church and give a bad name to Christianity in general.
Many younger Americans, including younger Christians, believe the church has become harsh and judgmental. David Kinnaman, author of the books unChristian and You Lost Me, discusses what he found when he examined the responses to these young people:
"…as we probed why young people had come to such conclusions, I was surprised how much their perceptions were rooted in specific stories and personal interactions with Christians and in churches. When they labeled Christians as judgmental this was not merely spiritual defensiveness. It was frequently the result of truly ‘unChristian’ experiences. We discovered that the descriptions that young people offered of Christianity were more thoughtful, nuanced, and experiential than expected."
While we might argue that some of their perceptions grew out of a kind of hypersensitivity, we would only be deceiving ourselves if we deny that some Christians and some churches are extremely judgmental.
How does this judgmental spirit manifest itself? I could probably go several directions but let me share an incident that happened just recently.
I was in a grocery store when I was approached by a man who asked me why he knew me. I never know how to answer a question like that but I guessed he may have attended a wedding or funeral I conducted. I told him I was the pastor of the Worthington Baptist Church.
He said, “Okay.” Then he asked, “What’s your church doing on Christmas day?”
I told him the deacons and I had weighed the situation and decided to cancel the services. This stranger became livid, and began talking about forgetting the “reason for the season.”
You should remember that people who are judgmental, legalists, if you will, are often bold. They’re so convinced they’re correct that normal conventions of manners are forgotten.
He wouldn’t listen to any explanation. It didn’t matter that we were going to have a Christmas Eve service. In his mind, only Christmas morning mattered. He walked away shaking his head.
Turns out, his church had a larger crowd for its Christmas Eve service than it had for Christmas day. I can’t help but wonder how many of those folks who were there wished they had been able to stay home with their families.
No matter. I think we made the right decision and I’m sure we understand the meaning of Christmas as well as anyone.
Having said that, let me point out something curious.
Even though younger Christians have raised the alarm about hyper-critical Christians, young or new Christians themselves sometimes adopt such a critical mode. They may do this for different reasons:
· They may be trying to distance themselves from their former lifestyle and believe this is the only way to do it effectively. They may be speaking to themselves as much as to a larger audience.
· They may have fallen under the influence of “legalistic” Christians who believe Christian morality is defined by lists of do’s and don’ts.
· They may believe such a critical spirit is a sign of maturity, not understanding that it may actually keep them from growing.
There may be another reason why some Christians find judging others so appealing. It allows us to shift attention to others. It’s a form of what psychologists may call “projection,” the tendency to project inappropriate feelings onto someone else rather than admit to having them ourselves. A few years ago, a nationally known TV evangelist, who was known for his attacks on sexual immorality, was caught in a sex scandal involving a prostitute. Was he wrong to call people to a higher morality? No. He was wrong to ignore his own failings. He was wrong to present his message without the counterbalancing call to accept God’s grace and restoration, a call we all need to heed.
It has always been easier to judge others than to judge ourselves. But it’s important to judge ourselves because it puts us on the road to wholeness.
If the answer to the question, “Who are we to judge?” is ourselves, how do we start?
We begin with the recognition that some of our problems may be glaringly obvious. Jesus was having a little fun with his audience. Just imagine a huge plank sticking out of your eye and your going about your daily business with the hope that no one notices. Yet, there are people who engage in just such denial. That’s why Jesus addressed his words to “hypocrites.” They have to acknowledge their problem and do something about it. Jesus said, “First take the plank out of your own eye.” It’s possible Jesus was quoting a proverb popular at the time. In any case, he was saying, “Do something about that plank.” His words don’t rule out the possibility of getting some help in the plank removal. In fact, the bigger the plank, the more help we might need.
Then, too, Jesus words imply that some problems might be almost invisible to those around us. You would certainly notice a splinter in your eye, but your neighbor might not. In examining this passage, we sometimes fail to remember that Jesus said the splinter needs to come out, too. That’s because a splinter can cause a lot of damage. Who is the best person for the job of helping remove the splinter? That person who’s had a plankectomy. That person is best able to approach a person with a problem in the spirit of Galatians 6:1—“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.”
In Paul’s vision, it works out that the woman who’s whose life has been put back together through God’s grace knows how easy it is to mess up and, so, has compassion for those who’ve messed up their lives.
Jesus’ words remind us of something else. While we’ve no doubt a plank needs to be removed, Jesus also wants us to understand that the “mote,” the “splinter,” or the tiny grain of sand in the neighbor’s eye also needs to be removed.
Just before we moved to Ohio, Philip got a small metal filing in his eye. We had to take him to optometrist who used a powerful magnet to remove it. Had he left it there, it would have set up an infection that could have led to blindness.
In the same way, the speck Jesus talks about has to be removed so further damage can’t occur. That man who has been freed of the beam, who’s been liberated from the guilt and shame of his failure, can approach the man with a speck in his eye with a gratitude that cherishes the opportunity help another.
Ultimately, whether a man or a woman has a plank or a splinter in the eye, they need grace, not another critic.
Conclusion
If someone waves a flag which says, “Judge not,” because they believe the church is sometimes too critical, we have to admit they are all too right.
If someone waves a flag which says, “Judge not,” because they believe Jesus gave a green light to any and every behavior, we have to say they are much mistaken.
All of us need to beware of ripping a single clause from portion of scripture, even the Sermon on the Mount, and assuming live up to its ideal. As we look at the depth and breadth of what Jesus said in that sermon, we realize the how impossible its demands are. We might meet someone who says, “Jesus’ words form a clear picture of life in the Kingdom of God.” We will never meet someone who can honestly say, “Jesus’ words form a clear picture of me.”
That gives special significance to Jesus’ warning against setting ourselves up as judges.
He speaks to those of us who might enter a courtroom expecting to find ourselves sitting on the judge’s bench, but instead find ourselves as the defendant. We are on trial and the prosecutor’s table groans with the evidence against us. And the evidence is unimpeachable; none of it can be disallowed. Our conviction is certain and no appeals court will overturn it.
Our only hope is to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court.
If we are wise, we will judge ourselves—in need of grace.
