Do Not Judge…
Matthew 7:1-2 Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
You may remember that I had jury duty last Wednesday. Well, I didn’t get assigned to a trial – didn’t even have to leave my seat (except of course for snacks). I must admit, I was overjoyed! But it did give an opportunity to assess my view of Jury Duty and this idea of judging and judgement.
Matthew 7:3-4 Why do you look at 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’ and behold, the log is in you own eye?
I am always ready to HELP with specks. But do I see clearly enough to do the fragile work of removing them from the eye… the eye of the heart?
Matthew 7:5 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.
Jesus doesn’t hem haw around does He?
I admit it… I am a fully trained hypocrite.
I was raised in a household that taught judgement as the first language, taking all the evidence to the jury of perfect people, and executing the life without parole sentence – being worthless at most things.
Perfection/perfectionism is from the pit of hell! It has been the lie of Satan from day one – that we COULD attain it and that God was AFRAID we would attain it. It is the log cabin (without windows to the soul) at the core of sin. It is absolutely meant to divide and jail us from God and our neighbors and our self.
first take the log out of your own eye… From the time I received the summons for jury duty, you could hear me whine… “I AM NOT SUPPOSE TO JUDGE!” God says so!
But there is no where on the form that excuses service because one is a Bible enthusiast and/or a follower of Jesus Christ.
And IF all Christians, the very people called to become like Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit, were excused, who would be there to administer the love of God? What am I really trying to be excused from?
THERE IS A SPEC… the question is not that the spec exists nor whether it needs to be removed.
The question is whether you are the one to see it, if you are able to see it clearly and if you have prepared yourself to remove it.
In the world we live in today, it seems that EVERYONE is a critic! We tend to label everything and everyone with only the evidence provided by feelings. We are quick to be judge, jury and executioner but most times we are not judging the action, we are using the action to judge the value and worth of the individual.
THIS IS the forbidden act of judging. ONLY GOD judges the value and worth (the core) of His creation. The spec is NOT the person! Nor is damaging or killing the person the appropriate response to removing the spec.
The first step must be to take the log out of my own eye.
I was not prepared for jury duty. Even if I would have answered all the questions the lawyers would have asked me before being chosen, without malice or a personal agenda, I would not be ready to judge until I looked into my own eyes.
Yes, I am saved when I accept Jesus as my Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but does that mean I have no sin specs? If I believe I am without sin and therefore can judge because I am perfect, I have a MAJOR LOG.
Jesus saves me from the wages of my sins… eternal death. He paid the price so that all who wish to may come to God and live eternally as His child. When I opened the door, Jesus came in and on His authority I have a future and a hope!
On earth… well, lets just say it isn’t heaven! We are not made perfect until we live in God’s perfect world. On earth it is up to me to live as if I have a future and a hope … but if I store Jesus in a closet or hide Him in the basement… my house will remain filled with all my old logs! My vision will not be clear and I will be in danger of doing harm to myself and others.
Just because I was raised in a log cabin, does not mean that I have to remain blind to my log view!
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; (2 Corinthians 5:17)… We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Here I am, complaining and trying to escape, when all I have to do is remove my log and look through the eyes of the Way, the Truth and the Life (no one comes to the Father but through Him – John 14:6).
Rather than trying to escape, Jesus encourages me to prepare for ministry!
1 Peter 2:9 you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Rather than being a judge, jury and executioner, I could use this time and opportunity to enter into His priesthood.
Thy will be done…
1 Peter 2:13-17 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God the by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
My goal for the use of this time WAS to… assess my view and… produce evidence of why I definitely would not make a very good jurist.
God’s goal is maturing Mary… take the log out of my own eye… see clearly… take the speck out of my brother’s eye (IF called to do so)
On earth as it is in heaven…
Do not judge so that you will not be judged… Instead, minister!
in the way you judge, you will be judged… Minister with love!
by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you… Minister with God’s standard of measure NOT mine!
Does this mean that I cannot view the evidence and asses the guilt or innocence in a court of law. Does this mean that I cannot ever be a part of administering an order of punishment for a crime committed?
Immaturity says, “YES, I can leave and go home now!”
Maturity says, “There is a speck, it WILL do damage if left to fester!”
God says, 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.
By prayer and preparation I will be ready next summons to do my Civic Duty!
Psalm 139: 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible