Title: Beware of Judging
Bible Book: Matthew 7 : 1
Author: Franklin L. Kirksey
Subject: Judging Properly
Objective:
Introduction
One of the most quoted verses in the Bible is Matthew 7:1, which says, "Judge not. . . ." Is Jesus saying that we should abandon our critical facilities and no longer make decisions of discernment distinguishing truth and error, goodness and evil, allies and enemies? No, certainly not! But, what does the Bible say about judging? In Matthew chapter 7 we discover three warnings about judging.
I. Overcritical Judges
First, we are not to be overcritical judges. A pastor had a church member who was always critical. One Sunday he called on the man to pray in the morning worship service. The pastor said, "Brother [So-and-So] would you lead us in a word of criticism?"
After hearing a sermon on the parable of the talents a woman made the following confession to the preacher: "Thanks to you I have discovered my talent. I have the gift of criticism. I can find fault in everything. What should I do with it?" The preacher quickly replied, "Go out and bury it!"
Tragically, some people are like the pussy cat in the Mother Goose nursery rhyme that went to London to look at the Queen and saw a mouse instead. Although the cat went to London, she never saw the London Tower, Buckingham Palace, the House of Parliament, or Westminster Abbey, just a mouse. Because that was what she was looking for!
Carping criticism and "judgmentalism" have destroyed more churches than almost anything else. A censorious spirit is deadly to a fellowship of believers. Jesus said, "Therefore whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).
II. Hypocritical Judges
Also, Jesus warns us not to be hypocritical judges in Matthew 7:3-5. Here He tells about one who has a huge log in his eye and is calling attention to another with a little speck of dust in his eye.
A baker once accused a farmer of shortchanging him in the butter that he sold. The baker had the farmer arrested and at the trial the judge inquired about the scales used by the farmer. The farmer insisted that the baker was getting a full pound of butter because he was using a pound of bread that he purchased from the baker to balance the scale.
Leroy Brownlow explains, "This illustrates the injustice of many people. They have two standards one for themselves and another for the other fellow."
III. Uncritical Judges
Jesus finally cautions us against being uncritical judges. In Matthew 7:6 we are given the following instruction, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs and do not cast your pearls before swine." Those referred to as "dogs" and "swine" have neither appetite nor appreciation for spiritual things. Jesus is making a judgment between those who are spiritual and those who are not. He calls us to make the same distinction.
In a similar way, the Bible tells us, "And on some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them from the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh" (Jude 22-23). Beware of judging a book by its cover. The Bible says, "Judge not according to appearances but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24). The prophet Isaiah foretells about our Lord Jesus Christ, "[Who] will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth" (Isaiah 11:3-4).
Matthew 7:15-23 reminds us that we must judge false prophets and false professors or suffer the consequences. "By their fruits you will know them"
(Matthew 7:20). The Berean Christians "were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so"
(Acts 17:11). Here we see that the Berean believers even tested the things Paul taught to see if they were so. Don't be fooled into thinking that just because someone preaches out of the same Bible we read the he is on the right track. We must "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
According to 1 Corinthians 4:5 we are to "judge nothing before the time." Paul also writes, "Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?" (1 Corinthians 6:3-4).
Conclusion
We continue to hear the defensive retort from all directions, "Judge not!" as if our Lord categorically forbids all judging. 1 Corinthians 2:16 reminds us that "The spiritual man judges all things" in fact the believer is informed in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world."
