Pastor Terry Cheek Th.D.

www.theinspiringword.org

Hello friends and neighbors! Thanks for returning to read another publication of “The Blue Ridge Christian News” and our article “The Inspiring Word”. We’re going to pick back up on our study of the Sermon on the Mount. In this article, we’re going to look at Matthew 7:1-6 where we read “Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) 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? (5) 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. (6) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” In our passage the Lord referred to the Pharisees practice of judging others against themselves. Christs command not to judge was not forbidding them from distinguishing between good and evil. Neither was it prohibiting them from discerning between truth and error in doctrine. Jesus was not so much dealing with conduct but rather the motives behind one’s conduct. Think about this. We know fornication, murder, covetousness and other similar behaviors are sin. There is no denying it. The conduct speaks for itself. Why the person engaged in it is another matter. Will it change the fact that sin was committed, no, but not knowing the motive should make us step back and really ask how the Lord wants us to move ahead with this. We do not want to be like the Pharisees felt they were qualified to determine a person’s motive by their action, and they engaged in judging the motives of people. This was exactly what Christ forbid.

As an application of the fallacy of judging another’s motives the Lord illustrated with a speck of sawdust and a board. A speck of sawdust and a board are identical in nature, both are wood, yet they differ in size. The Lord tells us the one who judges is concerned more with the sawdust in someone else’s eye than they are over the board in their own eye. Put another way Jesus was telling us that what one is quick to judge in another can be a major issue in their own life. Instead of dealing with the personal problem, it’s easier to divert attention away from self to another person. We have no authority to judge another person’s life or motives until our own life has been purified. The Lord gives us a very sobering thought in verse 6, He didn’t expect the truth He taught to be received by the Pharisees. His sovereignty revealed the Pharisees would not accept the Lords standard of righteousness over their own.

Christ carefully documented His reasons for rejecting both the Pharisees interpretations and their practice of the law. Therefore, the Pharisees doctrine, traditions, and practice could not produce a righteousness that would make one worthy of Gods kingdom.