By Pastor Greg
Several years ago I was walking across a Walmart
parking lot with my family. As we got
closer to the van, I could hear a thump
and rattle coming from one of the cars parked next to us. At first I thought the car had a serious
engine problem, but as we got closer, I realized the rattle was being caused by how loud the stereo was blasting; strong enough to shake the fenders. As I
opened the van door, one of the boys in the car rolls down his window and said, “What’s the matter, don’t you like loud
music?” My first reaction was to respond
by saying “Yes, I like loud MUSIC,” however, I was hungry and tired and wasn’t
in the mood to haggle over musical preferences.
So I gave him the “don’t bother me – I’ve got better things to do” look
and said “Sure.” Enthused, the man in the parking lot beamed a
toothless grin and cranked the music even more.
“Three thousand dollars!” he boasted (I still can’t figure what kept the
windows from blowing out right there on the parking lot). As we drove off, I mused about the amount of
money he poured into his stereo. “Should
have spent it on a trip to the dentist,”
I thought.
Now, I know many of us have been in similar situations. We meet someone whose priorities in life do not match our own, and we immediately form an opinion about their life; we decide what would make that person’s life a whole lot better. But if we’ve been around church long enough, we struggle with the feeling that we have just passed judgment. We get this nagging feeling that we have just looked at the speck in someone’s eye yet failed to see the log in our own.
As Jesus stood on this hillside, He addresses this very problem. 1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)
In our study of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has taught us many different ways we can develop a closer walk with God. But how do words about judging and specks of dirt instruct us to walk more closely with God? I know the conventional interpretation is for a Christian never to pass judgment. It has been suggested that Jesus is teaching us to tolerate everyone and allow each person to live as they chose. Even non-Christians will quote this text. Those who are living a destructive lifestyle claim that they certainly have the freedom to live their life any way they want, and they don’t appreciate snobby Christians sticking their noses into other people’s business. This fear of being hypocritical is why many Christians have taken this whole concept of judging and driven it underground.
It would seem then that it is wrong for us to judge or even comment on the destructive things we see in others. Take the man in the parking lot, for example. In light of these selected words of scripture, it will appear wrong for me to have passed any judgment on his life. But see, this is where I constantly get stuck. If the man in the parking lot had not been a Christian, my responsibility was to introduce him to Jesus. However, if he were a Christian, it is clear that he needed to change a few things in his life in order to walk more closely with God. And should I ignore them or gently point out the speck in his eye.
To fully understand what Jesus is teaching here, we need to know what Jesus means when He uses the word “judgment.” We pass judgment when we measure our righteousness against that of others. Typically, we will use people, such as the man in the parking lot, and compare our life to his. We then draw the conclusion that we must be a better person in God’s eyes because we are so much more holy and religious and godly than they are. That’s judging. If, on the other hand, we were to measure our righteousness against Jesus, we would fall to our knees in humility. So the first part of this lesson is that if we want a closer walk with God, Jesus needs to become the standard by which we are measured. Doing so will keep us humble. The second half of this lesson is just as important, and the two go hand in hand. The second lesson here deals with compassion.
This scripture here in Matthew has often been used as a weapon of defense; so often that, for many of us, we miss what Jesus actually meant. If you notice in these verses, Jesus mentions two people who shared a common problem; they both had something in their eye. The instruction Jesus gives is for me to remove my log so that I will then be able to help the other with their similar problem. Jesus doesn’t say I’m to take out my log and then ignore my brother or sister; there is still the responsibility to help one another. This is a call to help someone in their spiritual journey, not ignore them and watch them struggle. If I tolerate the destructive, sinful behavior in my Christian brother or sister, I am failing to love them. For if I really loved them I would help them remove the speck that is keeping them from developing a closer walk with God.
What Jesus is mainly talking about in this section focuses on our motive; why we are pointing out the wayward path of others in the first place. Do we see the speck in others so that we might feel good about our walk with God? If so, that’s judgment. Hypocritical self-righteousness has no place in the life of a Christian. If, on the other hand, we see a speck in others that is keeping them from walking closely with God, and we help them deal with that speck, that’s compassion and love. If we genuinely care about someone’s walk with God, we would come along side them and help lift them up; help strengthen them and help them walk more closely with God.
So, my friend, it is wrong to merely point out the sins of others. It is wrong to sit by and criticize the faith of another Christian. That’s hypocritical judgment. And it affects your relationship with God. But the loving, humble Christian who realizes they have dealt with far greater sins in their life (their “log”), honors the Lord by helping their fellow Christian deal with their sins (their “speck”).[1]
Paul encourages us by saying, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1). By helping someone deal with the speck in their eye, you develop a closer walk with God, which is what God truly desires. Rather than sitting back and passing judgment and claiming to be better than everyone else, you have chosen love and compassion.
[1] This text from
Matthew 7 is not an evangelism text.
This is not instruction from the Lord on how we should lead someone to
Christ. This is a lesson on mentoring
and discipleship; on strenghtening a fellow believer. A person will not become a Christian if they
remove the speck from their eye. I would
not have helped the man in the parking lot become a Christian simply by
pointing out his misplaced priorities.
If, however, I had helped this man meet Jesus, only then could I help
him develop a closer walk with God. I
think it’s important that we realize this difference.
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