1. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged
2. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
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?
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?
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.
6. "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
When I read Reader's Digest articles called “That's Outrageous!” I often get angry. I see gross injustice such as Charles Hollom, a cab driver in San Francisco who saw a man take a purse from a Japanese tourist. The cabbie decided to chase the mugger for several blocks and pinned him against a building, breaking the leg of the thief in the process who negotiated a plea of guilty to second-degree robbery. However, he has filed a $5 million suit against the cabdriver for injuries. Apparently, crime does pay.
My opinion of such legalities does not improve any when I read of the Iowa Men's Reformatory protesting that there was no pornography in the prison library. Tough you might think? Federal District Chief Judge Harold Vietor ruled that the prisoners should be entitled to the same magazines available to other Iowans. So, at public expense the government buys pornographic material so prisoners, many of whom are sexual offenders, can arouse their passions. Now I heard our local school libraries also have pornography available to its students.
Our society has developed rules and laws under which we judge others. Sometimes it is hard to determine who is the victim and who is the criminal. What is right and what is wrong. On what basis do we make judgments in our society against others?
Jesus speaks to that issue also as a spiritual issue. The emphasis is far different than what we might expect. "Judge not, lest you be judged." Some commentators believe that Jesus is saying that Christians should never participate in judging others, even in a court of law. Some think that a Christian nation has one judge and that is God. He will bring about justice and restitutions His own way. Jesus judges sin. The Pauline epistles instruct us to make judgments continually against false teachers, sin, and those who pervert the gospel. When someone is caught in an incestuous relationship in the Corinth Church, he rebukes the church for not confronting the man and disciplining him.
I am told of a church where the chairman was having an affair with the S.S. superintendent, and nothing was being done because they didn't want to be judgmental.
Applicatio: How are we to understand it when Jesus says, “judge not, lest you be judged?” As we look at this passage this week, I would like to point out prevalent attitudes implied when we think of judgment.
Prayer: O Lord, we have so “muddied our waters of truth” in our world. Lord, be our guide and bring true justice in every situation.
