February 26, 2012 | Leave a comment Today, Sunday February 26, 2012, is Day 2 as we continue to prepare our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. As we prepare ourselves each day I ask you to consider an area of our lives over which Jesus may not have complete control. We need to ask God to take these aspects of our life and have his way in the whole of our lives. On Day 2 of our 40 days of preparation for Easter I must “put off” the sin of being judgmental and I need to “put on” trust in God. I read somewhere that the most quoted Bible verse in America used to be John 3:16 but that recently the most quoted Bible verse in America has become Matthew 7:1 . Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2 As I understand it the basic principle taught in these verses is that Christ’s followers are not to be characterized by judgmental attitudes. The immediate practical rationale for His command is that others, including God, may treat us in the same manner which we treat them. The entire thrust of the Sermon on the Mount, of which this passage is a part, is to show the distinction between true and false religion, between spiritual truth an spiritual hypocrisy. Jesus places God’s perfect and holy standards beside the unholy and self-righteous standard of the scribes and the Pharisees and declares that those who follow the scribes and the Pharisees will have no part in God’s kingdom. Never has a more controversial or judgmental sermon ever been preached. In Matthew 7 Jesus is referring to our judging another persons motives, which no mere human can possibly know. What Jesus is specifically forbidding is self-righteous, officious, unmerciful, prejudiced, and unwarranted condemnation based on human standards and human understanding. Three reasons why Jesus condemns such judgments as sinful are: Such judgments reveal an erroneous view of God. That He somehow needs your or my help. Such judgments also reveal an erroneous view of others. That we are superior to others and or therefore in a position to judge. Such judgments reveal erroneous views of ourselves. That we are righteous and able to pass judgments. Whenever you or I condemn another person without mercy because they do not do something the way we believe it should have been done or because we believe their motives are wrong, we are making a judgment that God alone is qualified to make. Perhaps this poem will help you think before you judge as much as it has me. Judge not the workings of his brain, And of his heart thou cannot see, What looks to thy dim eyes a stain, In God’s pure light may only be A scar brought from some well-won field Where thou wouldst only faint and yield – Author Unknown So if I trust God more I will feel obligated to judge others less. Jesus goes on to teach us that as it pertains to judgment the person which I should feel free to judge is myself. 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. Matthew 7:3–5 (ESV) If I have a proper attitude when I judge myself I will discover that the sins which I once saw as large in another or actually small when compared to my own sinfulness. Therefore, to not be guilty of the additional sin of hypocrisy I must trust God to judge others and spend my time asking God to help me judge myself. What Jesus’ Censure Against Judging Is Not Today tolerance is prized above all other virtues. One is looked upon with scorn if we make any moral judgments concerning any oneelse’s belief system. This position is a Trojan horse, however, because we clearly all agree that the events of 9/11/01 carried out in the name of Allah are absolutely and positively wrong! That is a judgment on the 19 highjackers belief system which we each make. Someone who thinks that it is proper according to their belief system to offer human sacrifices to God would similarly be condemned by us and correctly so. The church throughout its history has a record of standing and shouting condemnation against society whenever society strays from Biblical norms. That is a component of every Christians prophetic role, 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, Ephesians 4:15 (ESV) We sin individually and corporately when we do not voice such condemnation to our society. Many today misuse the Matthew 7:1 text to silence the church and individual Christians from voicing our convictions which confront society’s current view. We are branded as violators of Jesus’ injunction not to judge, and we are branded as trouble makers. Yet at no time in the history of the church, or of ancient Israel, was spiritual and moral reformation achieved apart from confrontation and conflict. God’s prophets have always been bold and controversial. And they have always been resisted, often by God’s own people. The church reformers of the sixteenth century were men of strong conviction and principle, apart from which the Protestant Reformation would never have occurred. We are to say “Thus says the Lord,” but we are to be loving and accepting of those with whom we disagree. Our condemnation of sin, however, must never become a license which we use to feel morally superior to others. We are to be clear about what Christ taught and condemn what He condemned but we must be controlled by His love and concern for the lost as we make our case, controversial and confrontational though it may be. As you make judgments condemn the sin but show love and concern for the sinner. Today take care to avoid judging others motives, but always trust and obey God first and foremost!