Judge Not......

One of the most used and most misunderstood passages of scripture is Matthew 7: 1-5.
It is often used by unbelievers to decry the hypocrisy of Christians, yet, by them criticizing Christians, they are being judgmental themselves. Oh the irony, but they speak from ignorance as most of them have probably never even opened a Bible.

Matthew 7: 1-5
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “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? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. NIV

Let’s start from the beginning. Matthew 7 is part of The Sermon on the Mount and it was addressed to believers. Yes, that is correct, his disciples.

Matt 5:1-2
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them." NIV

Also notice in Matt 7: 3 Jesus talks about people who judge their brothers(other believers) “Why do you look at the at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye”.
So, one can conclude that Jesus was discussing judging other believers. There is no doubt that we need to make moral judgments on a daily basis so where else could the Lord have been heading?
This is a lot to take in and it will take several weeks to flesh this out so bear with me. In the meantime, go back and read the Sermon on the Mount and meditate on these passages and see where the Lord leads you. If you are reading the ONE YEAR BIBLE, and I suggest that everybody do, you are in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount right now. Compare it to what I lay out over the next few weeks and then we will discuss it.

Until the next time: May the LORD Bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.