Do Not Judge

This passage is from the first major teaching of Jesus in the Bible…

The beginning is really familiar. The first sentence is often quoted – probably not in the best of circumstances:

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.

The second part is straightforward - I need to clean up my own act before I try to help someone clean up theirs, or I’m a hypocrite:

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? 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? 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.

And the third part seems to not fit, and I have often wondered about it:

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 turn and tear you to pieces.

I’m 100% sure the “Do not judge”, statement has no place in me telling someone not to judge me. Just a couple of of minutes before Jesus said, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

The third part – the strange statements – ended up being the key for me to understand this. It says don’t take something really valuable and throw it away. You will lose it, and maybe you will get destroyed in the process.

So what is this valuable thing he’s referring to? Think it’s this:

I get to decide how God is going to judge me at the end of my life.

He says, “I give you this gift – you get to set the standard that determines your destiny. It’s the standard you hold in your heart, the one you really believe in, the one you use with others.”

• If I forgive, God forgives me
• If I hold a grudge, God holds a grudge against me
• If I look beyond people failings, sin, problems – he looks beyond mine
• If I turn my cheek when treated poorly – he will turn his when I treat him poorly
• If I play a game and say I forgive, but really I don’t – he will play the game with me

This scares me. It’s really hard for me to look at myself objectively regarding how I judge others. Hence the middle part – I need to clean up my act so I can see clearly.

But I’m not honest with myself! I know I will screw it up.

I believe Jesus knew that if we really thought about this, we would come to this conclusion and the associated fear. So he said this next:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

God, I’m asking you to help me have real forgiveness for everyone - to hold no overt, subtle or subconscious grudges. Not easy.
 

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Saturdays | God desires obedience – I want to be obedient

- And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

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