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Matthew 7:1-6 Judge not

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  • 13-07-2020 8:37am
    #1
    theological
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,831 ✭✭✭


    We're continuing in our series in Matthew, the first in that series is here, and the last is here.
    Matthew 7:1-6 wrote:
    “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 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? 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. 6 “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.

    We're at the end of the Sermon of the Mount and Jesus is continuing to confront heart attitudes. This week we can see that it is about how we respond to others. He's addressing how the Christian (or at this stage the Jesus follower) can exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees (5:20).

    And we're looking at judgement. Jesus tells us to judge not so that we might not be judged. A common understanding that some take from this passage is that we should not make any judgements at all. I don't believe Jesus is saying that. In verse 2 we can see that Jesus is warning us that we will be measured by our own judgements. In speaking about taking the log out of our own eye before commenting on the speck in others we see a good principle. We should look to ourselves first before we believe that we can address the problems of others. Such an attitude would make us more humble. However, that means that Jesus still says that we can and should help others in their walk. He does not say that we shouldn't take the speck out of our brothers eye. Meaning that if we speak the truth in love and humility to one another that is different to speaking the truth in scorn and derision.

    Also - in verse 6 Jesus tells us to be careful in respect to who we engage with with holy things with sacred things. I think this verse will become clearer as we work through the gospel (I'm further ahead in Matthew and can see some places where this comes in), but Jesus is encouraging us to use discernment as to whether to engage with holy things.

    A few thoughts for prayer:
    Father, thank you for your Word, thank you for your Son and how He tells us to be wise in respect to our judgements. We pray that we wouldn't be too quick to judge others, and we pray that we would look to what we need to address before pointing out what others need to address. Please help us to be wise in how we use our words. Please help us to use it rightfully and in the right context. Please help us to love others so that we can help them have a more fruitful walk with you, and please help us to accept the love of others when they point to hard things we need to change. In Jesus' name we pray - Amen.


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    #2
    Thinkingaboutit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,182 ✭✭✭Thinkingaboutit


    Jesus sometimes spoke in an exaggerated way, say plucking out an eye, cutting off a limb, to head off sin. If we never judged, we couldn't navigate life. Rather I see it as a call to exercise prudent and rightful judgement.

    Matthew 7:3 says it well: 'Any why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye?' We should be careful to judge others for things we can be convicted of.


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    #3
    antiskeptic
    Registered Users Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭antiskeptic


    Thinkingaboutit wrote: »
    Jesus sometimes spoke in an exaggerated way, say plucking out an eye, cutting off a limb, to head off sin. If we never judged, we couldn't navigate life. Rather I see it as a call to exercise prudent and rightful judgement.

    Matthew 7:3 says it well: 'Any why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye?' We should be careful to judge others for things we can be convicted of.

    Judge not because we do exactly the same things. Since adultery (involving coitus) and adultery (casting a lustful glance at a women whilst sitting in traffic) are seen in the same light in the economy of God. Let he who has not sinned.

    And so good judgement and judging. We could remonstrate with someone plotting coitus noninterruptus. But on the basis of being fellow soujourners on that path (having committed adultery in the other way that very day)


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