Interestingly, this scripture follows the oft quoted verse that states: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." I say interestingly because in today's society it appears easier to judge believers in Jesus for their personal flaws than to be thankful that these same believers have begun -- and subsequently, are moving forward in their faith journey. Instead, we rationalize away our own behaviour while making the attitudes and characteristics of others inexcusable. This is why I believe that we have taken this passage and used it against others when we should have been using Jesus' message to examine our own personal mindset. Living a double standard, for instance, in that we believe as sinners forgiven by grace that suddenly we are competent to heal others of their blindness, even though there is only one healer -- our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ.
Note that we are not talking about doctrine here (where scripture does permit discerning and speaking out against false teachers -- indeed, Jesus often criticized the Pharisaic righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees) but rather, how we view those around us. The saying "There goes I except for Jesus" comes to mind. To clarify further -- in alignment with His Word, please allow me to share several scriptures on this subject, putting the initial message about judging into perspective.
Beginning with Luke 6, we read that Jesus and His disciples were plucking the ears of corn in the corn field and eating, rubbing them in their hands on the second sabbath after the first. While doing so, certain of the Pharisees asked, "Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?"
Jesus answered them, saying, "Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him -- how he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shew bread, and gave also to them that were with him -- which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?"
From this response, one might suggest that Jesus (in referring to David and his men being hungry) was making an exception to the Law but that was not so. Instead, Jesus simply said, "That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." (Luke 6:5)
We then learn of a second example in Luke 6, which also took place on another sabbath. Herein, Jesus had entered into the synagogue to teach. There was a man in the synagogue whose right hand was withered. As in the first example, the scribes and Pharisees watched Jesus, to see whether He would heal the man on the sabbath day. Note that the Pharisees did this "so that they might find an accusation against Him" -- instead of being thankful that the man had been restored.
However, Jesus already knew the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees, and said to the man which had the withered hand, "Rise up, and stand forth in the midst." (Luke 6:8) And the man arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto the scribes and Pharisees who watched Him, "I will ask you one thing. Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy it?" (Luke 6:9)
Looking round about upon them all, Jesus said unto the man, "Stretch forth thy hand." And the man did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other. But were the scribes and Pharisees happy to see the man's hand restored? Of course not. Rather, in judging Jesus and seeking an accusation against Him, they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Looking round about upon them all, Jesus said unto the man, "Stretch forth thy hand." And the man did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other. But were the scribes and Pharisees happy to see the man's hand restored? Of course not. Rather, in judging Jesus and seeking an accusation against Him, they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Still, Jesus did not let the unjust scribes and Pharisees (and might I add judgmental with ulterior motives) change His ultimate love and mercy for the people. "I will ask you one thing. Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy it?" (Luke 6:9)
In Romans, the point is made in this fashion: "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4)
Now we are beginning to see the perspective changing from you and I being judges of others -as were the scribes and Pharisees - to the righteous judgement of our Lord God and Saviour.
Reading on, Jesus continued in the mission that He Himself who knew no sin had predestined before the world began. We read that Jesus went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples and of them, He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles. (Luke 6:11-16)
In Romans, the point is made in this fashion: "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4)
Now we are beginning to see the perspective changing from you and I being judges of others -as were the scribes and Pharisees - to the righteous judgement of our Lord God and Saviour.
Reading on, Jesus continued in the mission that He Himself who knew no sin had predestined before the world began. We read that Jesus went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples and of them, He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles. (Luke 6:11-16)
(As an aside, note that Jesus had more disciples than the original twelve when He chose the twelve.)
Nevertheless, Jesus came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases; and they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. As a consequence, the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for there went virtue out of Him, and healed [them] all.
Note what happens next. "And as He did, He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said [to them], "Blessed [be ye] poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed [are ye] that hunger now for ye shall be filled. Blessed [are ye] that weep now for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy for, behold, your reward [is] great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." (Luke 6:20-23)
Note what happens next. "And as He did, He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said [to them], "Blessed [be ye] poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed [are ye] that hunger now for ye shall be filled. Blessed [are ye] that weep now for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy for, behold, your reward [is] great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." (Luke 6:20-23)
We recognize these instructions as the Beatitudes but unlike the usual presentation in churches, these were given specifically to His disciples. Jesus healed everyone that came to Him -- because the Word states that virtue went out of Him -- but in the verses following, He spoke specifically to His disciples. In so doing, Jesus wanted them to understand that they were chosen as His own. That when persecution came against them, His disciples should rejoice and leap for joy because their reward is great in heaven. (Luke 6:20-23)
In fact, James later wrote, "Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2-3)
Another point worth noting is that unlike the Beatitudes (that are regularly quoted as a message unto itself), Jesus did not stop there. His teachings continued, and it is in the midst of this same teaching that we find the scripture -- "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged." (Luke 6:37) It is for this reason that neither the Beatitudes, or for that matter -- verse 37 on judging -- can be separated from the entire message Jesus preached in Luke 6. Why? Because Jesus taught this message as one teaching, and as believers in Jesus we need to seek the same understanding that was delivered specifically to His disciples on that day.
In fact, James later wrote, "Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2-3)
Another point worth noting is that unlike the Beatitudes (that are regularly quoted as a message unto itself), Jesus did not stop there. His teachings continued, and it is in the midst of this same teaching that we find the scripture -- "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged." (Luke 6:37) It is for this reason that neither the Beatitudes, or for that matter -- verse 37 on judging -- can be separated from the entire message Jesus preached in Luke 6. Why? Because Jesus taught this message as one teaching, and as believers in Jesus we need to seek the same understanding that was delivered specifically to His disciples on that day.
Therefore, moving forward, Jesus then contradicted what was just spoken. Jesus said, "But woe unto you that are rich for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6:24-25)
Was Jesus' focus here still directed toward the apostles, or maybe the disciples who were not numbered in the twelve, or the scribes and Pharisees, or to those that had come only for healing? Good question. I ask because Luke 6:24-26 presents a completely opposite position to that which Jesus had previously said specifically to His disciples. Let's keep reading.
Jesus then said, "But I say unto you which hear -- [presumably, being His believing disciples] -- love your enemies. Do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to [take thy] coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask [them] not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." (Luke 6:27-31)
Or, as Matthew scribed, "Therefore , all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12)
Or, as Matthew scribed, "Therefore , all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12)
Then Jesus elaborates further for those still willing to hear.
"For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again." (Luke 6:32-34)
"For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again." (Luke 6:32-34)
But instead states Jesus, "Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." (Luke 6:27-36)
It is at this point that Jesus says the oft misquoted scripture: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged." (Luke 6:37; Matthew 7:1) And note in the same verse, "condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:37-38)
There is a message of blessing here -- "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
Wow! Jesus is saying that if we forgive, it shall be given unto you in good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over to the point whereby men shall give into our bosom. So therefore, with the same measure that we mete withal it shall be measured to us.
Jesus' teachings are further confirmed in Matthew:
"Judge not that ye be not judged ... for with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:1-2)
In other words, forgive and ye shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you. Not just in small measure but in good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over -- shall men give into your bosom. Think about this. Our Lord God and Saviour wants to bless us but we are blinded by our own judgments against others, and we stop short of examining ourselves first.
Jesus said, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in your brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, "Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold, a beam that is in thine own eye? Or , how wilt thou say to thy brother, "Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?" (Matthew 7:2-4; Luke 6:38-41)
Three times in a row Jesus said to be aware of how we judge, and that before we judge others, we should first examine ourselves to see if our hearts are right. The lady caught in adultery comes to mind here -- when everyone walked away because they were not without sin. Neither are we for that matter but I digress.
The point is this -- when we don't examine ourselves to ensure that we are not judging others unfairly, we become hypocrites. Jesus called it for what it is, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:5)
But then Jesus said something interesting which corresponds again with His message in Luke 6. Jesus said, "Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rend you." (Matthew 7:6) "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" (Luke 6:39)
Who was Jesus speaking to? The Pharisees who Jesus said to "let them alone [because] they be blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14)
There is a message of blessing here -- "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
Wow! Jesus is saying that if we forgive, it shall be given unto you in good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over to the point whereby men shall give into our bosom. So therefore, with the same measure that we mete withal it shall be measured to us.
Jesus' teachings are further confirmed in Matthew:
"Judge not that ye be not judged ... for with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:1-2)
In other words, forgive and ye shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you. Not just in small measure but in good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over -- shall men give into your bosom. Think about this. Our Lord God and Saviour wants to bless us but we are blinded by our own judgments against others, and we stop short of examining ourselves first.
Jesus said, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in your brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, "Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold, a beam that is in thine own eye? Or , how wilt thou say to thy brother, "Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?" (Matthew 7:2-4; Luke 6:38-41)
Three times in a row Jesus said to be aware of how we judge, and that before we judge others, we should first examine ourselves to see if our hearts are right. The lady caught in adultery comes to mind here -- when everyone walked away because they were not without sin. Neither are we for that matter but I digress.
The point is this -- when we don't examine ourselves to ensure that we are not judging others unfairly, we become hypocrites. Jesus called it for what it is, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:5)
But then Jesus said something interesting which corresponds again with His message in Luke 6. Jesus said, "Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rend you." (Matthew 7:6) "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" (Luke 6:39)
Who was Jesus speaking to? The Pharisees who Jesus said to "let them alone [because] they be blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14)
But we are to remember that as disciples of Jesus Christ -- which is you and I -- we are not above our master but rather as Jesus said -- every one that is perfect shall be as His master. (Luke 6:40)
So as Jesus asked, "why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, "Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
We need to do as Jesus instructed when He said, "Cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. (Luke 6:41-45)
We need to do as Jesus instructed when He said, "Cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. (Luke 6:41-45)
In other words, Jesus wants us to follow Him -- to seek His righteousness for our wisdom and knowledge. He already knew about the religious culture of the day, that sadly, has not changed much from then.
Jesus said unto them, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like -- he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock.
Jesus said unto them, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like -- he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock.
But he that heareth, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:47-49)
Let's be like the man who builds his house upon the rock. Press into Jesus today. Seek His righteousness so that we can be AS our Lord and Saviour -- as our Lord and Master who loved us enough to shed His precious blood on a cross for us. It is Jesus who sees our hearts, even when we ourselves know that we have failed in our earnest desire to walk faithfully with Him.
And the next time someone cites the scripture "judge not that ye be not judged" in accusation against you, let them know that we are not perfect -- just ordinary people saved by the grace and mercy of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. And that He -- Jesus told us to "forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
Praise Jesus! Stand in the offering plate.
And the next time someone cites the scripture "judge not that ye be not judged" in accusation against you, let them know that we are not perfect -- just ordinary people saved by the grace and mercy of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. And that He -- Jesus told us to "forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
Praise Jesus! Stand in the offering plate.
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