Luke 6 - Why We Should Not Judge Others?
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Chapter 6 begins Luke's, "Sermon on the Plain", which many compare to Matthew's, "Sermon on the Mount". They have similar teachings, but different emphases. In this passage, Luke challenges the disciples not to be judgmental. He says that oftentimes judgment is finding a speck of sawdust in your brother's eye, while ignoring the big plank of wood in your own.
I have found that some of the most judgmental people I have met fail to look at the plank in their own eye. They are most comfortable judging others. We are all tempted to judge others. It feels good. It helps us to feel better about ourselves. There is only one problem with it. It is wrong, and Jesus warns us that as we judge others the same standard will be used for our own judgment. That is not a place I want to be in.
The reason Jesus is so strong about this is that when one considers the grace they have been given inspite of all the sin in their lives, we really have no reason to judge others. Although others sin may different than ours, or we may deem it worse than ours, sin is still sin. It deserves the judgment that Jesus took on for us on the cross. Therefore, we really have no right to judge others. When we do we show that we do not understand grace.
Where are you tempted to be judgmental in your life? This can be either with Christians or unbelievers. Most of the stuff we see on TV is fraught with judgment and gossip. People like to watch it. Why? Because it makes them feel good about themselves. Okay, I want to challenge you this weekend. Whenever you are tempted to judge someone think about Jesus' death on the cross that paid for all of your sin, past, present and future! If you do this, I do think you will look at other's differently. Perhaps you will have more mercy towards others, that might just draw them to Christ. Have a good weekend. Enjoy God's grace and give it to others you see, especially those you are tempted to judge. This is what it means to be a Christian.
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