If a non-Christian knows any part of the Bible then it is usually these two words: “Judge Not!” Of course that is about as far as their understanding on this subject goes when it comes to the Bible. Sadly this can be true of some who are believers. No one wants to feel like they are being judged. However, the biblical teaching on judging goes much deeper than those two words.
If we are truly disciples of Jesus then we will search out what our master is trying to teach us and give ourselves to living it out. God will not be satisfied with disciples who merely quote his teachings out of context. Our passage for this sermon is Luke 6:36-42. However, by way of remembrance let’s look at the last part of verse 35, “For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” Here we see that the reason we are to love our enemies is because God wants us to be like Him. He is being kind to those who will never thank Him and are evil. The present tense in that verse reminds us that there is still a future judgment coming, but for now, God is being kind.
In verse 36 Jesus transitions from the kindness to mercy. Mercy is a type of kindness that involves our judgments of one another. Think about this from God’s perspective for a bit. God knows who will continue into eternity rejecting His kindness and who will eventually turn and give thanks to Him. He even knows these things before we do them. We are all evil in the sense of being sinners and needing salvation. But most do not want to be saved from it. Yet, even then God is still kind. He is kind by delaying an inevitable judgment. But, even more, He acts in love and mercy towards those who will continue to be unthankful and reject His love. Here we see that His heart is merciful.
Mercy is not a concept to pursue, as if it was mere inspiration to something nobler. It is more than that. It is a description of something that God is. He is the one who will define mercy for us through His actions and words. Thus mercy is not up for us to define. We need to become merciful in the way that God is merciful and not as the world or our heart would define it for us. God delays His judgment and lovingly reaches out to the lost up to the last moment before His judgment is poured out. Therefore, we need to hold our own judgments and instead, give people the love of God even if they will never embrace the gospel of Jesus. We need to do this right up to the last moment when they slip into eternity.
It is also important to recognize that mercy is really a facet of love. If love is seeking the well being of another then mercy speaks to the “Why” of love. To continue in love with anyone will involve the love of mercy. The word mercy here literally means to be distressed at the condition of another to the point of pity and compassion. It is a feeling that leads to a particular action of restraint on one hand and help on the other. Thus, God is distressed at mankind’s choice to follow Satan’s rebellion, to the point of taking pity on him and having compassion. God has restrained himself in judgment and given time, instruction, and encouragement for man to turn to him for salvation. It is too easy for us to think we know who will change and who will not. We tend to give mercy to those whom we think it is worth giving mercy too. But this is not God’s mercy. This is a twisted self-serving mercy.
Any time we talk about judgment we need to recognize that it is a word that covers many different things. Thus, when Jesus says judge not, we should ask ourselves how he is using that word. There is a difference between judging an outward action as bad or good and judging the heart of a person as bad or good. If I punch you in the face, are you being judgmental to say it was wrong? Yes and no. Yes you are making a judgment. But few would say you are being judgmental, but the person throwing the punch. How about the judgment of what kind of food you like? Is that what Jesus is talking about? It is impossible to live life without judging what is good to you and important to you. Yet, in verse 37 Jesus follows up the word judge with the word condemn. It is clear that he means to further clarify the word judge. Thus judgment here is more than an opinion. It refers to the calling down of punishment or censure upon someone.
This gets even trickier when we take in account whether a person is a Christian or not. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4 Paul takes the church to task for their judgments about him. He tells them to not be so hasty to judge the value of his ministry and person until the Lord comes, “who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” They had “judged” the quality of Paul’s ministry and motivations as a low value. He is challenging them not to judge in that way. However, in 1 Corinthians 5 he deals with a person in the church who is having sexual relations with his step-mother. Instead of rebuking him, they were proud of their great grace with him. Paul tells them that, when it comes to outward actions and outward refusal to change, they needed to make a judgment. Yet, he points out that this is because the guy is a believer within the church. If he was an unbeliever they wouldn’t be called to make a distinction. Let’s read some of that passage: “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside [the Church]? But those who are outside, God judges. Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person.” Notice that God’s Word is that within the Church we shouldn’t judge the value of a person, motivations, or heart. But, we should judge their actions even to the point that the actions may cause us to separate from them. Yet, we wouldn’t separate from a person who wasn’t in the church doing the same thing. Later Paul tells them that the purpose for excommunicating a person from the church is so that they will see the error of their way and, through the destruction of following their flesh, repent. We need to judge when we shouldn’t and not judge when we should. We need a teacher!
So in verse 37 when Jesus cautions against judging notice that there is a present vs. future aspect. Don’t judge and you won’t be judged later. Don’t condemn and you won’t be condemned later. Who is the “later judging” referring to? Jesus is not saying don’t judge people and they won’t judge you. Have you found that to be true? Have you tried not judging others and they all quit judging you? Hardly! Jesus is warning us of God’s judgment. What goes around is going to come around when you give account before God. So be careful what you send around. Also, judging is modified by the word condemn. Jesus is not talking about making distinctions of good and bad actions. We are to leave people’s judgment and condemnation up to God. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to say something when they sin against us.
Not only will it “come around,” but it will come around in “like measure.” Verse 38 is often quoted in regard to money. But the context here is mercy. What standard of judgment do I use? Is it harsh or careful? What do I accept as evidence against others? Whom do I condemn and censure in life? Be careful you will find God treating you the same way. In the Old Testament there had to be two witnesses in order to find someone guilty. Thus one of the 10 commandments was, “You shall not bear false witness.” A false witness is not just a person who lies. It is also a person who presents themselves as evidence of another’s guilt and yet we didn’t actually see it. Even if your best friend told you, you cannot be a witness only the people who saw it. The difficult thing in life is that we do not always have enough evidence to convict. Yet, we often do so anyways. Even then, sometimes the witness and or the evidence is false. Is this how you want God to judge you, based upon hearsay and the whims of others? Thus verse 38 is a scary verse if you think about the unmerciful. God will bring His wrath upon us, “pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing.”
Now Jesus gives 3 parables to help us understand this. I will only look at two of them today. The first is the Blind Teacher. A student by nature cannot see or understand things around him. He needs a teacher, “one who can see,” to teach him. If the teacher is “blind” they will both end up in a ditch. They will be unable to move forward on the road to Truth. The intended question for each student is: “Who am I following?” Am I following my own desires and lusts? Am I following some wise person I admire and want to be like? Am I following the spirit of this age? My destiny can be affected by who I am taught by. Ultimately, no pastor is your teacher. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the ultimate teachers. God does use humans to point us back to himself. But, that is the best we can do: point people back to God and His Word to better understand Jesus. This is exactly what the prophets of old did.
The second parable is the Speck in the Eye. This famous parable refers to a speck of chaff, or dirt that can get in the eye. Jesus challenges his disciples to ask the question first, “Am I able to help them currently?” I might be a great doctor, but if I have been drinking heavily or haven’t slept for 2 days, then I shouldn’t go into surgery. Likewise, if I am going to deal with a speck in someone’s eye, I had better be sure I can help and not just because I have the correct information. Even deeper than this is the issue of hypocrisy. The sins of others are always so obvious to us. But that also means my sins are just as obvious to them. Self-inspection must be more than a hypocritical acceptance of a beam in my eye while I point out specks in yours. Specks easily get in our eyes without us wanting them. But a beam is not easily moved. If I have a beam in my eye, It probably took a lot of work and compromise to get it there. God is not hypocritical and neither should we be. Notice Jesus doesn’t end by saying, therefore leave the specks in everyone’s eyes. He says, “then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Listen, it is irritating to have a speck in your eye. It is also difficult to remove it by yourself. Wouldn’t it be great if you knew someone who was trustworthy, gentle, and cared enough that they would help you remove it? Let us hear the challenging words of our Lord and learn to make right and good judgments, so that, when we stand before Him, He will be pleased.