A Messiah of Fairness
Text: Matt. 7:1-6
Introduction
1. Illustration: “To accept people is to be for them. It is to recognize that it is a very good thing that these people are alive, and to long for the best for them. It does not, of course mean to approve of everything they do. It means to continue to want what is best for their souls no matter what they do.” AND – after comparing the difference in the way Jesus and the teachers of the law dealt with the woman caught in adultery (they wanted to throw stones, he accepted her and said ‘go and sin no more) he writes; “Amazingly enough radical acceptance does what condemnation and judgmentalism and self-superiority could not do: produce a changed life…” - John Orteberg, ‘Everyone’s Normal…”
2. As I began to study this text in preparation for today two things occurred to me.
a. This topic brings out the preacher in all of us.
b. There is a fine line that we must walk between condemning and condoning.
3. In our text today Jesus teaches us that the secret in dealing with the topic of judgmentalism is fairness.
a. Fairness in our observation
b. Fairness in our intervention
c. Fairness in our reaction
4. Read Matt. 7:1-6
Proposition: In dealing with others is treating them the same way we would want to be treated.
Transition: First, we must use...
I. Fair Observation (1-2).
A. You Will Be Treated As You Treat Others
1. This text is one of the most misquoted and often misinterpreted Scriptures in all of the New Testament.
a. Those who are confronted with their sin will be quick to quote verse one of this text and say, "You’re not supposed to judge me."
b. Then there is a very popular theory today known as relativism, the idea that everything is relative and right and wrong is a matter of personal perspective. In other words, there are no absolutes.
c. Anyone who challenges that theory is labeled as being "judgmental."
d. However, in order to properly understand the meaning of this text we need to understand what Jesus meant when he said "do not judge."
2. He said, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged."
a. The verb "judge" (krino) has a number of different nuances, depending on the context — ranging from ordinary discernment or evaluation, to judicial litigation, to bestowal of reward, to pronouncement of guilt, and to absolute determination of a person’s fate.
b. The latter two senses are in view here: Jesus warns his disciples against setting themselves over others and making a pronouncement of their guilt before God (Wilkins, NIV Application Commentary, New Testament: Matthew, 308).
c. The phrase "and you will not be judged" indicates that this sort of judging is not acceptable for a disciple of Jesus.
3. This verse does not forbid judging of any kind, for the moral distinctions drawn in the Sermon on the Mount require that decisive judgments be made (Carson, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Matthew).
a. 1 Corinthians 5:12 (NLT)
It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
b. In fact, if we see someone living in sin and don’t try and correct them we are just as guilty.
c. However, this verse echoes the old addage that "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones."
d. Absolute judgment is a categorical pronouncement of the guilt of another person as though this is the final word on a matter.
e. At fault is a person who makes himself and his way of doing things and his opinion the absolute standard.
f. He or she has usurped the place of God because only God can judge in this way.
4. Jesus goes on to say, "For you will be treated as you treat others."
a. The Greek text is emphatic: "With the judgment you judge you will be judged." (Wilkins, 308).
b. Jesus is merely reiterating the Biblical concept of "you reap what you sow."
c. Job 4:8 (NLT)
My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same.
d. True disciples, who have been impacted by the mercy of God in the arrival of the kingdom of heaven, will exhibit mercy toward one another, not judgment.
e. Because true disciples have received forgiveness, they will forgive one another.
5. Jesus says, "The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged."
a. The "standard" can be a scale, a vessel, or a rod used for calculating weight or distance, but which was often used figuratively, as here, to designate God’s uniform justice.
b. The command to judge not is not a requirement to be blind, but rather a plea to be generous.
c. Those who are blind to their own failings are living in a make-believe world where others are held to a high standard of righteousness but they are not. (France, 275).
d. God will use the same judgment for us that we use on others
e. In other words, if we jump to conclusions and pass judgment on others with out first discovering all the facts, God will do the same to us.
f. Jesus is saying that in our observations we make about others be fair just as we would want them to be fair to us.
B. Fair Standards
1. Illustration: Years ago, the Christian Rock group The Resurrection Band, was doing a concert in the area and posters promoting the concert were displayed at the church where I was attending. I overheard some ladies bad mouthing them based on the way they were dressed. What these ladies didn’t know is that the members of the group were friends of mine and I knew things about them that they didn’t know. What I told these ladies was that when they had led as many people to Christ as my friends in the Resurrection Band had then they could complain, but until then they needed to be quiet.
2. Our observations need to be based on the Word of God.
a. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
b. When we correct someone else it must be based on the Word and not our opinion.
c. It must be based on what God says and not what we think.
3. Our observations need to be based on fairness.
a. We cannot hold someone to a standard that we are not willing to live by ourselves.
b. We cannot hold someone to a standard that is one they’ll never be able to live up to.
4. Our observations need to only be made after we are sure that our hearts are right.
a. If you are going to question someone’s morals, you’d better check your own first.
b. If you are going to question someone’s integrity, you’d better check your own first.
c. If you are going to question someone’s relationship with God, you’d better check out your own first.
Transition: We must also use...
II. Fair Intervention (3-5).
A. Hypocrite!
1. Here Jesus warns us about trying to fix someone else’s problems when we have our own to deal with first.
2. He says, “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?"
a. Once again he uses hyperbole (intentional exaggeration) as a figure of speech to illustrate his point: "Why do you look at the speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?"
b. The term "friend" is probably not the best interpretation here. In Greek it is literally "brother," and should be seen as someone inside the Church.
c. So he is talking about dealing with someone in the Church, not someone who doesn’t know Christ.
d. The "speck" (karphos) refers to a small twig or stalk, something quite insignificant in contrast to a "log" (dokos) or large beam.
e. The contrast illustrates the difference between the insignificance of the problem of the accused in comparison to the magnitude of the accuser’s problem.
3. He goes on to say, "How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?"
a. To have a plank in your eye and not know it truly suggests a blind, insensitive individual.
b. The accuser cannot help anyone else because his spiritual vision is impaired by the plank in his own eye (Wilkins, 309).
c. Jesus does not say it is wrong to help your brother remove the speck of dust in his eye, but it is wrong for a person with a "plank" in his eye to offer help (Carson, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM).
d. Human imperfection, especially the blindness to ones own shortcomings and sins, leads to an unmerciful criticism of others’ conduct.
e. In fact, the things a person criticizes the most loudly are often the things that are his own faults or secret sins (Horton, 127).
4. Jesus has a very harsh thing to say to these individuals: "Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye."
a. By hypocrisy Jesus means to perform external acts of righteousness that mask, perhaps even from oneself, one’s own inner corruption.
b. This is the only time that Matthew uses this term for a disciple rather than someone outside of the Church (France, 276).
c. In this case, the hypocrite thinks he can see clearly the sin of a fellow disciple and is condemning them before God. However, he has not seen his own self-righteous, judgmental attitude.
d. It would be like having a blind surgeon performing eye surgery.
e. Thus with proper humility and motivation, Christians can help one another with their shortcomings. However, a person can offer help in removing someone’s speck only after they have dealt with their log.
B. Check Yourself
1. Illustration: If you are not able to make yourself that which you wish, how can you expect to mold another in conformity to your will? —Thomas À Kempis
2. Galatians 6:1 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
3. Before we correct others we must first correct ourselves.
a. We cannot help others deal with their sin unless we have dealt with our own.
b. We cannot help others see if we are not willing to open our eyes.
c. We cannot lead others to the light if we are walking in the dark.
4. Before we correct others we must be certain that our heart is right.
a. We must make sure our motives are in the right place.
b. We must make sure that our hearts are open and humble before God.
c. We must make sure we are listening to the Holy Spirit’s voice and not our own. (the Lord told me!)
Transition: Another thing Jesus tells us to use is...
III. Fair Reaction (6).
A. Don’t Waste What Is Holy
1. Verse 6 shows that Jesus is not saying that all judging is wrong, because here he tells us to use discernment.
2. Jesus says, “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy."
a. He calls for the appropriate discernment of right and wrong or good and bad, because in their everyday world disciples will have to make regular evaluations (Wilkins, 310).
b. The imagery here is about the inappropriate use of that which is special.
3. The Greek literally reads "don’t give what is sacred to the dogs."
a. In biblical times dogs were seldom kept as household pets in the way they are today.
b. Except for those used as working animals to herd sheep, they were largely half-wild mongrels that acted as scavengers.
c. They were dirty, greedy, snarling, and often vicious and diseased. They were dangerous and despised (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 1-7).
d. To refer to a person as a dog was a grave insult, reducing the person’s status to among the lowest in the social scale.
e. There will be people that you come in contact with who are simply not ready to receive the message of the Gospel. God still has to do some work on their hearts.
f. While we should not prejudge who may receive the message, neither should we try to force it upon those who show no desire to accept it. It is a call to discernment.
g. Proverbs 23:9 (NLT)
Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.
4. Jesus goes on to say, “Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you."
a. The pig in the ancient world is far different than modern cartoon characters like "Porky Pig."
b. Although pork was a highly prized food among many people in the ancient Mediterranean world, it was rejected by Jews, probably because pigs, like dogs, were scavenging animals (Wilkins, 311).
c. There will be times when those to whom we witness will resist the gospel and blaspheme God.
d. Like Paul, we must then say, in effect, "Your blood be upon your own heads! I am clean. From now on I shall go to the Gentiles" (Acts 18:6).
B. Discernment
1. Illustration: Discernment in Scripture is the skill that enables us to differentiate. It is the ability to see issues clearly. We desperately need to cultivate this spiritual skill that will enable us to know right from wrong. We must be prepared to distinguish light from darkness, truth from error, best from better, righteousness from unrighteousness, purity from defilement, and principles from pragmatics (J. Stowell, Fan The Flame, Moody, 1986, p. 44).
2. Discernment is a gift from the Holy Spirit.
a. 1 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV)
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
b. To recognize; to discriminate; to distinguish; to evaluate, to judge rightly (Practical Word Studies in The New Testament).
c. Well what if we do not have the gift? Ask for it!!
3. Some discernment requires prayer and fasting.
a. We may need discernment with a particular person or situation, but you just don’t know where to turn.
b. When this happens we need to get before God, eliminate the distractions, and say, "God I need to hear from you."
c. There will be times when only seeking the face of God will give you the discernment you need.
4. Sometimes the discernment we need comes from the Word.
a. Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
b. One of the chief ways that God gives us discernment is through His Word.
c. It opens things up for us and gets to the heart of the matter.
d. It gives us direction and advice.
e. It makes things clear and simple.
Transition: God is willing to give us the discernment we need as long as we are willing to ask for it.
Conclusion
1. When we ask the question is it okay to judge, the answer is sometimes.
2. However, it must always be fair judgment.
a. Fair in our observation
b. Fair in our intervention
c. Fair in our reaction
3. What we must never do is take the place of God and pass judgment on someone based on our own thoughts and desires.
4. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
"...The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
