Righteous Judgment: Mercy, Self-Examination, and Love
Summary
In our exploration of Matthew 7:1-6, we delve into the profound teachings of Jesus on judgment. The essence of this passage is not a prohibition against making judgments but a call to exercise righteous judgment. Jesus warns against the hypocrisy of judging others while ignoring our own faults. The imagery of a speck and a plank in the eye serves as a powerful reminder to first address our own shortcomings before attempting to correct others. This teaching is not about avoiding judgment altogether but about ensuring that our judgments are fair, compassionate, and rooted in love.
The concept of judgment in the kingdom of God is distinct from the judgmental attitudes often seen in the world. Jesus calls us to judge without being judgmental, to evaluate situations and people with a heart of mercy and grace. This requires a deep self-examination, recognizing our own biases and limitations. The Pharisees, known for their strict adherence to the law, often fell into the trap of self-righteousness, believing their external piety justified their harsh judgments. Jesus challenges this mindset, emphasizing that true righteousness is characterized by love and humility.
Furthermore, Jesus teaches that the measure we use to judge others will be the measure used against us. This principle encourages us to extend grace and forgiveness, knowing that we too are in need of mercy. The call to judge righteously is a call to align our judgments with God's standards, which are always tempered with love and compassion. As we navigate our relationships and interactions, we are reminded to prioritize understanding and empathy, seeking to uplift rather than condemn.
Key Takeaways:
- Judge Without Being Judgmental: Jesus calls us to make judgments without adopting a judgmental attitude. This means evaluating situations with a heart of mercy and grace, recognizing that the same measure we use will be applied to us. Our judgments should reflect God's love and compassion, not our own biases or self-righteousness. [12:52]
- Self-Examination Before Judging Others: Before we judge others, we must first examine ourselves. Jesus uses the metaphor of a speck and a plank to illustrate the importance of addressing our own faults before correcting others. This self-awareness helps us approach others with humility and understanding. [18:59]
- Righteous Judgment Aligns with God's Standards: Righteous judgment requires aligning our evaluations with God's standards, which are rooted in love and compassion. This means seeking to understand others' circumstances and offering correction in a spirit of grace. Our goal should be to uplift and encourage, not to condemn. [29:37]
- The Measure You Use Will Be Measured Back to You: Jesus teaches that the way we judge others will be the way we are judged. This principle encourages us to extend grace and forgiveness, knowing that we too are in need of mercy. By prioritizing love and understanding, we create a culture of grace. [14:27]
- Judgment as a Tool for Growth and Unity: When exercised righteously, judgment can be a tool for personal growth and community unity. By focusing on love and grace, we can help others grow in their faith and strengthen our relationships. This approach reflects the heart of God and fosters a spirit of unity within the body of Christ. [35:15]
Youtube Chapters:
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:35] - Introduction to Judgment
[03:09] - Assigning Blame and Judgment
[04:32] - The Kingdom's Righteousness
[05:41] - Righteous Judgment in Everyday Life
[07:09] - Judging Like God
[08:39] - Pharisees and Judgment
[09:54] - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
[11:32] - Misinterpretation of "Do Not Judge"
[12:52] - Mercy and Judgment
[14:27] - The Measure of Judgment
[16:00] - Love as the Standard of Righteousness
[18:59] - Judge Yourself First
[22:13] - Perspective and Judgment
[25:03] - Consequences of Unrighteous Judgment
[29:37] - Judge Righteously
[31:02] - Dogs and Pigs: A Lesson in Discernment
[32:28] - Speaking the Truth in Love
[35:15] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Matthew 7:1-6
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Observation Questions:
1. What does Jesus mean when He says, "Judge not, that you be not judged"? How does this relate to the measure we use being measured back to us? [12:52]
2. In the sermon, what is the significance of the imagery of the speck and the plank in one's eye? How does this metaphor relate to self-examination? [18:59]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between judging and being judgmental? What examples are given to illustrate this distinction? [07:09]
4. What role do the Pharisees play in the sermon, and how does their approach to judgment serve as a warning for us? [08:39]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of "righteous judgment" differ from the judgmental attitudes often seen in the world? What does it mean to judge with a heart of mercy and grace? [05:41]
2. Why is self-examination crucial before judging others, according to the sermon? How does this practice align with Jesus' teachings? [18:59]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the consequences of unrighteous judgment, both personally and within the community? [26:35]
4. How does the principle of "the measure you use will be measured back to you" encourage us to extend grace and forgiveness? [14:27]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt judged or were judgmental. How could you have approached it with more grace and understanding? [12:52]
2. Before addressing someone else's faults, what steps can you take to examine your own biases and shortcomings? How might this change your approach? [18:59]
3. Think of a time when you judged someone without knowing their full story. How can you ensure you have a complete perspective before making judgments in the future? [22:13]
4. How can you practice extending grace and forgiveness in your daily interactions, knowing that you too are in need of mercy? [14:27]
5. In what ways can you align your judgments with God's standards of love and compassion? Identify a specific relationship where you can apply this principle. [29:37]
6. How can you foster a culture of grace and unity within your community or church? What practical steps can you take to encourage growth and understanding? [35:15]
7. Consider someone in your life who might benefit from loving correction. How can you approach them in a way that reflects genuine concern and support? [32:28]
Devotional
Day 1: Judging with Mercy and Grace
In Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus teaches us to judge without being judgmental. This means evaluating situations and people with a heart of mercy and grace, recognizing that the same measure we use will be applied to us. Our judgments should reflect God's love and compassion, not our own biases or self-righteousness. Jesus calls us to judge righteously, aligning our judgments with God's standards, which are always tempered with love and compassion. This approach requires us to extend grace and forgiveness, knowing that we too are in need of mercy. By prioritizing love and understanding, we create a culture of grace. [12:52]
"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." (John 7:24, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you judged someone harshly. How can you approach similar situations with more mercy and grace in the future?
Day 2: Self-Examination Before Correcting Others
Before we judge others, we must first examine ourselves. Jesus uses the metaphor of a speck and a plank to illustrate the importance of addressing our own faults before correcting others. This self-awareness helps us approach others with humility and understanding. By recognizing our own biases and limitations, we can avoid the hypocrisy of judging others while ignoring our own shortcomings. This practice of self-examination is crucial for fostering a spirit of humility and empathy in our interactions with others. [18:59]
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to remove the "plank" before addressing the "speck" in someone else's life?
Day 3: Aligning Judgment with God's Standards
Righteous judgment requires aligning our evaluations with God's standards, which are rooted in love and compassion. This means seeking to understand others' circumstances and offering correction in a spirit of grace. Our goal should be to uplift and encourage, not to condemn. By aligning our judgments with God's standards, we reflect His heart and foster a spirit of unity within the body of Christ. This approach helps us build stronger relationships and communities, grounded in love and understanding. [29:37]
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." (Romans 12:9, ESV)
Reflection: How can you ensure that your judgments are aligned with God's standards of love and compassion in your daily interactions?
Day 4: The Measure of Judgment
Jesus teaches that the way we judge others will be the way we are judged. This principle encourages us to extend grace and forgiveness, knowing that we too are in need of mercy. By prioritizing love and understanding, we create a culture of grace. This teaching reminds us of the importance of empathy and compassion in our judgments, as we seek to reflect God's love in our relationships and interactions. [14:27]
"For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:2, ESV)
Reflection: Consider a time when you felt judged unfairly. How can this experience help you extend grace and understanding to others?
Day 5: Judgment as a Tool for Growth and Unity
When exercised righteously, judgment can be a tool for personal growth and community unity. By focusing on love and grace, we can help others grow in their faith and strengthen our relationships. This approach reflects the heart of God and fosters a spirit of unity within the body of Christ. By using judgment as a tool for growth, we can encourage others to develop their faith and build stronger, more compassionate communities. [35:15]
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." (Galatians 6:1, ESV)
Reflection: How can you use judgment as a tool for growth and unity in your community, while maintaining a spirit of gentleness and love?
Quotes
1. "The judgment we're going to be talking about is righteous judgment. And we have to distinguish that. See, because without righteous judgment, we can't discern the difference between right and wrong, between what is good and just and holy and what is wicked and unjust. And we have to distinguish that. Without judgment, without discernment, without being able to recognize the difference between things, how can we ever make good choices? How can we ever make wise decisions? How can we be sure that we're walking in the will of God? We need to exercise judgment. But here's the truth. We already do. We already make judgments and judgments are like armpits. We have more than one and sometimes they stink." [06:30] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "As Christ followers, we need to learn how to judge like God does or we need to learn or we don't need to judge at all. Amen. We should write that down. That's a good one. In the Greek, the word, this word used is krino. It means to sunder. Like if you're cutting something in half means to decide. It means to judge. It has the sense though of evaluating. We want to evaluate things. Judging like God means we evaluate things to make a proper judgment. You know what it really means? It means that we judge without being judgmental. See, when we apply Jesus's teaching on judgment, we'll judge with righteous judgment and we'll be way more quick to show mercy and less inclined to judge." [07:09] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Jesus said, do not judge. Now, some people are taking that literally, right? And remember Matthew chapter five, Jesus said, hey, if you're struggling, with lust, pluck your eye out, cut your hand out. Now, did he mean do that literally? Absolutely not. So here, when Jesus is saying, don't judge, does he mean that literally? No, because we have to look at this whole chapter. This whole chapter, Jesus is judging things and telling us to judge things. Throughout the Bible, we're told to judge things. So Jesus is not meaning do this literally. But sometimes we do that, don't we? We hear that, the world says that to us. They love that verse. They tell the Christian, only God can judge me." [11:32] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Judge yourself first. Let's look at three through five again. It says, and why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, let me remove the speck from your eye and look, a plank is in your own eye. Hypocrite. First, remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Now, notice here that Jesus is using a particular word that's supposed to give us some insight. You know what word he's using? Brother. Brother. So is Jesus talking about us judging the world, or is this, the context is judging a brother and sister in the faith? In the faith. He's saying brother. He's not saying judge someone else. He's saying your brother, your sister." [18:59] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Listen, one of the reasons why we need to judge ourselves first is because we don't see everything, do we? We don't have all the details. Sometimes we can look at the picture in front of us and get it, get it wrong, right? Look on the screen for me for a second. What does this look like? This look like this lion is eating her baby, swallowed the head whole, but let's see it from another angle. She just carrying that baby. She didn't eat the baby's head off. But this is us. We see one thing and it's this and it's terrible and it's wicked and it's evil. A mom killing her kid or this or that, the other thing. We don't see the other side. And because we don't see the other side, we make an inaccurate judgment." [20:34] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Judge righteously when you judge. So now we get to the actual judging of other people. And when you get to other people, judge righteously when you judge them. Matthew 7, 6 says, Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces. Now, Jesus is using two word pictures here that indicate that if we give something good to something defiled, it won't be received well. Dogs in Jesus' days, you know, they're not like the cute, awesome dogs that we have today. You know, in Jesus' day, they were considered scavengers and dirty things. Why? Because they ate every kind of bodily fluid, which made them unclean." [29:37] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "Judging righteously begins with seeing ourselves rightly and then seeing others through the lens of God's loving standard. And when we do that, we will not come across as so good and so great and so awesome. And people who need to hear loving correction will listen to you, because they know that you are actually genuinely concerned with, helping them and blessing them, not attacking them. If people feel that you're judging them without seeking to know more of their story and circumstances, they're not going to receive what you say, even if you have the words of life." [32:28] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "If we judge people unrighteously, they feel that. And they're going to reject what you have to say. This is why Christians don't have a good voice or a good testimony in the workplace or in the community, because we've come across as judgmental and judgy instead of, and operating in righteous judgment. But if you're, if you're correct, like the Lord and you, you try to judge in love, or you try to, you know, even when I say judge, we're getting that idea. But if we're trying to evaluate and, and correct things in love, like Jesus did, then people who love the truth will receive it and they'll respond to it." [33:53] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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