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. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why a...
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the...
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in ...
Read more