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Judge for Yourselves
““Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.”
• Ahh, the most popular Bible verse by those who don’t believe in the Bible! Ironic, no?!
“For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.”
• Judged by who? Like much of the SOM, (i.e. ch.5, anger to murder, lust to divorce, et,), Jesus is giving practical advice on how to be “perfect” or complete like the Father (Mt.5:48). This comes practically, from protecting the heart first, which includes how we view and treat others. Most likely here, the standard by which we are judged is “our standard” foisted upon us by other people we have harmed, not God. Not hypocritically judging others is another way of obeying the Golden Rule (7:12)
“Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?”
• What should be physically impossible becomes spiritually common (i.e. Pharisees). These hypocrites should not even be able to see the speck in their neighbor’s eye!
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye?”
• If you don’t think Jesus has a sense of humor, you aren’t visually seeing what this word picture is drawing!
“Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.”
• This section is often overlooked. And the point is neglected too. We need to first work on ourselves, so we may help others. This is the difference between being judgmental, and judging. Again, visualize the word picture. If you physically had a splinter in your eye (it hurts just to write that!), would you want help? Should others want to help?
“Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.” (CSB’17 Matthew 7:1-6)
• This tells us who not to “judge”. That is, people who will in turn harm us. Judging is holy when practicing the Golden Rule. These hypocrites, the Pharisees and their outward righteousness (Mt.5:20), the “holy ones” (separated ones might be the origin of their sect’s name), are in reality unclean pigs and dogs.
Judge yourself first, and more harshly, so you may help others, and both become “perfect” like the Father.
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