18th November 2024

18th November 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 7:1-6 focus v1)


Message (Alan Burke) 


I was sitting with someone last week who said, “Alan, I know I shouldn’t judge but…” I’ll leave the rest of that blank, you don’t need to know what was said, it won’t do you any good and will start the jungle drums going. Is that true, that we shouldn’t judge? The reason that I start with that is because I’ve heard that comment come from the other side, when someone is defending their actions and they throw out the line “Who are you to judge me!” What Jesus teaches here has been used, misused and utterly abused by many so it is important that we take a moment to understand what Jesus is saying because ‘don’t judge’ does not mean ‘don’t think’. What I mean by that is say hypothetically we have someone who struggles with a sin, let’s say that of gossip. We can take the attitude who am I to judge and think that it is a good idea pour out our hearts to them because we have no right to judge them. Of course we wound’t, we’d tell others not to tell them their business. There are many times that we judge and it is the wise thing to do. 


So what Jesus this is not a requirement to be blind to sin but a plea to be generous. There is a reason why I say that and it is because there is something that is lost in translation here. That is because our English word judge so often in our thinking means condemn or condemnation of someone we judge someone we're inwardly effectively saying they're guilty, we condemn them. 


The Greek word actually has a positive sense to it, it means to evaluate, discern then to decide. For someone who judges they're going to evaluate, discern, decide. It means they are going to listen, to try and understand what is going on, to weigh up what is happening, not only the appearance or the one of incident. A better way of translating this since the word that used in Greek conveys more to us than our English word, would be, "do not judge unfairly”. 


This isn’t a command of Jesus that we should be blind to what people are doing, or that we should simply ignore sin but rather that we should be with grace, mercy, generosity look upon others to evaluate, discern then to decide. To be sharply critical of others is to invite that criteria is placed upon ourselves (7:1). In this Jesus uses imagery of the market place in v2. Telling us “in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” And we will think on that more on Wednesday. 


But for now know that it is in Christ that we are forgiven through Him because of his grace. It is not something that we can demand or that we deserve but only something we receive in the mercy of our great God. But there is also an expectation that as we receive forgiveness that we will also forgive others. And note this is the only petition of the Lord’s payer that comes with explanatory notes for want of a better term as Jesus adds in v 14-15; “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions”. (Mt 6:14–15.)


For those who judge, evaluate, discern then to decide on others harshly that is what they can expect, their heavenly Father will not forgive them, but if they judge, evaluate, discern then to decide on others mercifully then they can expect the same mercy from their heavenly Father. For the measure you use, it will be measured to you. We have the need for a correct measure as we look on others.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q 38. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
A. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up to glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.
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