Matthew 7:1-5

“You shouldn’t judge,” has become the mantra of our time. We hear it especially when someone is engaged in a questionable activity, at least from your perspective.

You become aware of a couple living together without being married or you see a gay couple on the beach, or maybe you see someone wearing an outfit that is just way too provocative. As soon as you voice your opinion, someone will say, “You shouldn’t judge.”

If the person who is pointing out your judgmentalism is the lease bit religious they may even cite Jesus as the authority on the issue- and he is!

You Shouldn’t Judge!

It’s hard to miss Jesus’ point in this passage. The simple message is do not judge. The Message paraphrase drives the point home well.

[Mt 7:1-5 The Message ] “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults- unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Jesus gives some valid reasons in this passage not to judge.

Why are we not to judge?

• We are not God – we have no right to judge a person’s eternal destiny. Judging in this way usurps the place of God.
• We have limited knowledge – most of us make snap judgments based on nothing more than our perceptions and prejudices
• We are prone to error – we all make mistakes in almost every area of our lives so why do we think our judgments are 100% correct all the time. We sometimes even spiritualize them by using words like discernment.
• We may have wrong motives – probably the last factor we consider in our judgments, if we consider it at all.

We have all done this haven’t we? Haven’t you ever sat in worship and said to yourself, “Boy, So-and-so should have been here to hear this. You judged someone.

Our culture

Our culture applauds those ideas, because they think you shouldn’t judge either! Amazing our culture agrees with Jesus!

But usually the cultures motivation is not that pure the culture is usually upholding Individualism and Personal Autonomy. They are putting forth a skewed notion of tolerance.

The Other side – we are called to make Judgments

But wait a minute; something doesn’t seem to fit here. Jesus tells us not to judge and then he says:

[Mt 7:6 ESV ] “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.

Isn’t that a judgment? Yes it is. In fact, much of the Sermon on the Mount assumes that we will make judgments!

• Love your enemies – you made a judgment about a person
• Give to the needy – you made a judgment
• In the Lord’s prayer we talk about forgiving others – how can you forgive someone unless you have judged them as a wrong doer
• We are told to judge the words of those who claim to speak for God – judge their words as either good fruit or bad fruit.

And besides all that, when you tell me that I shouldn’t judge – you just judged me!

It is obvious that whatever is going on here Jesus did not forbid all judgments.

Normal judgments

Judgments are part of everyday life.  If judgments are wrong then we could never have contests of any kind. Sports would be out. We couldn’t shop for clothes at have a favorite store. We couldn’t recommend a doctor, mechanic or a plumber. We could not hire the best candidate for a position or fire someone who didn’t measure up. All of these require judgments – judgments about people

We Are Called to Judge The Fruit of Ministries

Bible teachers / speakers – We are told to evaluate what teachers tell us by the Word of God.

The apostle Paul blasted the churches of Galatia and Corinth because they didn’t do it.

[Ga 1:8 ESV ] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

[2 Co 11:4 ESV ] For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

Candidates for ordination – In the United Methodist Church all candidates for ministry undergo scrutiny.  Pastors, Staff-Parish Relations committees, Church Conference, District Committee on Ministry, Board of Ordained Ministry all judge these people.

We Are Called to Decide disputes

Scripture says that we should be able to judge disputes between people.

[1 Co 6:1-3 ESV ] When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

We Are Called to Judge Behavior

[1 Co 5:9-13 ESV ] I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler-not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Why is Paul so harsh on these things? Have you ever been told that the church is full of hypocrites? People see folks involved in church who do things like this and even unchurched people know it is unacceptable behavior. When you engage in this kind of behavior you not only give a black eye to the church but also to Jesus. We are to judge behavior.

Making Judgments

Jesus, however, did not leave us without any guidelines.  In the Sermon on the Mount we can discern some very important principles to keep in mind when we make judgments.

Humility

We must always remember that we are not God. And because we are not God our judgments are riddled with errors, misperceptions, prejudices and questionable motives.

A grocery store check-out clerk once wrote to advice-columnist Ann Landers to complain that she had seen people buy “luxury” food items-like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp-with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who treated themselves to such non-necessities were “lazy and wasteful.”

A few weeks later Lander’s column was devoted entirely to people who had responded to the grocery clerk. One woman wrote:

I didn’t buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So what? My husband had been working at a plant for fifteen years when it shut down. The shrimp casserole I made was for our wedding anniversary dinner and lasted three days. Perhaps the grocery clerk who criticized that woman would have a different view of life after walking a mile in my shoes.

Another woman wrote:

I’m the woman who bought the $17 cake and paid for it with food stamps. I thought the check-out woman in the store would burn a hole through me with her eyes. What she didn’t know is the cake was for my little girl’s birthday. It will be her last. She has bone cancer and will probably be gone within six to eight months.

You never know what other people are dealing with. — Terrie Williams, The Personal Touch (Warner Books, 1994); submitted by Danny Smith

Mercy

Making judgments with mercy is about generosity of spirit, a willingness to forgive and give the benefit of the doubt. It is about being conscious of your own failings. Notice the following survey

Percentage of Americans who:

Think incivility is a serious problem: 89.

Think mean-spirited political campaigns are to blame: 73

Think rock music is to blame: 67.

Think talk radio is to blame: 52.

Think their own behavior is uncivil: 1.

U.S. News & World Report (4/22/96). Leadership, “To Verify.”

When it comes to making judgments we would do well to remember Jesus’ words:

[Mt 7:2 NLT ] For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Willingness to Revise

This principle follows logically from the other two: If our knowledge is flawed and incomplete and our judgments should be tempered with mercy and a willingness to forgive, then our judgments ought to be open to revision.

When we make unfounded, harsh judgments and refuse to revise them we put people in bondage, a bondage from which, at least in our minds, they can never escape. They have no change for appeal.

When we are willing to revise our judgments we release people into an open future. A future where they may become brothers and sisters in Christ

Conclusion

“You shouldn’t judge.” It’s true, but only a half truth and that makes it an urban legend. We cannot live in this world without making judgments. So when we make judgments, especially of people, let us make them with humility, mercy and a willingness to revise them.

Most of us have been on the short side of judgmentalism; we know how much it hurts. If for no other reason we should be willing to hold the reins on our judgments.

There are some you here this morning who have made judgments about another brother or sister in Christ and that judgment has affected every aspect of your relationship, if you have one. You have judged the way they look their spiritual lives, their behaviors even the way they have raised their children. Humility? Mercy? Willingness to revise? Not for you. It is time for you to repent, today. Or maybe you want to be judged that way too.

There are some here who are engaged in immoral lifestyles, sinful or hurtful behaviors. Whenever someone says something to you about it you tell them,” Hey you’re not supposed to judge.” And you think that little statement makes everything OK, but it doesn’t. Because you are still wrong, and if you will not listen to someone who holds you accountable here what will you do when you stand before God Almighty? It’s time for you to repent.

All of us in this place today stand under the gaze of One who knows our hearts better than we ourselves. He knows when we have tried our best and failed and he knows when we said we “couldn’t” and we really meant “wouldn’t.”  God knows our past completely and not just our version of the past. God knows our present and our future. And yet he chooses to be in relationship with us. The only one who can and does judge perfectly is reaching out a hand to you even now to offer you a relationship that will change your life. Don’t you think it’s time?