Lesson Fifty-Nine: Do not Judge
59.1 When our Lord Jesus contrasted the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees with the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven, I'm sure he left people gasping in amazement. The Pharisees' false interpretation of the Law and their false holiness left them exposed. The true condition of their hearts could be seen. They were hypocrites! The people could see it now. Yet they were not to condemn or pass judgment on the moral vision of the Pharisees! Their own moral vision was worse!.
And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye; but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother; 'Let me remove the speck from your eye?' and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:4-5
59.2 A modern translation from Greek is helpful...
Now why do you see the twig in your brother's eye, but cannot see the beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Hold still. Let me take the twig out of your eye", when look! there is a beam in your own eye! Hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, then you can see clearly to take the twig out of your brother's eye.
59.3 This parable was meant to be ridiculous. Like a starving man bragging of his riches and offering a banquet of dried and burned grass to his friends, so here we see a nearly morally blind man trying to show another man the way. We would laugh - except that we are caught laughing at ourselves. Jesus is talking about us!
59.4 The eye is the focus of this parable - not the beam or the splinter. It is the eye that cannot see even its own shortcomings - because of the beam and the splinter. Jesus is talking about moral vision. We cannot pass judgment upon the moral vision of any other person - while our own moral vision is so bad.
59.5 We need to see ourselves as morally bankrupt compared to the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven. Thus the beam of our own self righteousness will be removed and we will be able to see clearly. Then we can point the way - to Jesus.
59.6 But even the command against judging others has its limits. There are some people who should be judged. They are dogs and swine. How to judge them is the problem.
Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Matthew 7:6
59.7 Ownerless dogs run in packs doing whatever comes naturally. Some people are like that. Trying to reach them with the gospel is not a good idea. How many times have Christian hearts been torn to pieces by such people? After sharing the gospel with them once or twice we should not waste time on repeated attempts. That is how we judge them. Avoiding them might be a good idea, but we are bound yet to love them.
Swine are worse than pigs. A herd of swine can be more vicious than dogs. They can also turn and tear us to shreds. Very religious - they will nevertheless trample the gospel (that which is holy) underfoot, and despise all of its doctrines (pearls) as well. We are well advised to stop sharing the gospel with them, and that is their judgment. But we are bound yet to love them.
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