#1367 Luke 6 Part 5 "Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged"

 

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build Your House on the Rock

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6: 37-49 ESV

Luke 6: 37-49

Judge not, and you will not be judged - This is probably the most often quoted verse in all of Scripture, and without doubt the most frequently taken out of context. It is the favorite verse of everyone who was ever confronted about sin that they didn't want to deal with or acknowledge as sin. It was one of my favorites not just when I wanted to be an atheist, but also when I was teenager going to church, or a young man who had come to believe that there was a God, but didn't want Him as my Lord. It is the semi-polite way of saying, "shut up", but is it the mic drop that I thought it was, hoped it was? Jesus didn't come to drop mics, he came to drop bombs, so open up your Bibles to the Psalms:

…4Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies. 5Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked. 6When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.… Psalm 141: 4-6

And from Proverbs

…5Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed. 6The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 7The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet.… Proverbs 27: 5-7

Condemn not and you will not be condemned - Throughout Scripture we are given the mandate to judge righteously, and if we look at the context of this text we will see that it addresses hypocritical judgment. Sadly, everyone thinks of themselves more highly than they ought to, and we are always more bothered by the sins of others than our own. To condemn is to extend judgment to a finality, something that we do not have the right to do. Scripture is clear that sin is already under judgment, and we know that this bears eternal meaning, but we don't pick who God is going to save. I can tell a man that if you remain in your sins, that if you do not have Christ as Lord, if you are not born again, or if you believe that there is some other way than Christ, to die in that is to enter such condemnation that has already been prepared. 

MacArthur - The first command, do not judge, and you will not be judged, does not preclude assessing a person’s spiritual condition and confronting their sin (cf. Lk 6:42–45; 17:3; Matt. 7:6; 1 Cor. 5:5, 11–13; 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; James 5:20; 2 John 10). In fact, Christians are commanded to be discerning, to be “shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16; cf. Col. 4:5)....What this command does forbid is harsh, critical, compassionless, vengeful condemnation of one’s enemies as if one was vested with final judgment power. (See Luke Commentary)

Henry Morris describes proper judging - "We should be able to recognize false teachers and "from such turn away" (2 Ti 3:5; see also Mt 7:15-20). Also, we should discern and rebuke these false brethren who are encouraging others to sin (Eph 5:7,11). In other words, we should be able to judge that which is wrong, in either doctrine or practice, and avoid (or correct) those who are involved, but we must not condemn them--God will do that." (Defender's Study Bible) - Precept Austin

…17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.… John 3: 17-19

Forgive and you will be forgiven - We should not be like the ungrateful servant who was forgiven a massive debt but through his fellow servant into jail for a much smaller offense. It is a very entitled attitude that expects good for oneself but wishes ill upon others. Do you still not know the magnitude of what you need when it comes to forgiveness? Look at the balance of this which Luke later expounds upon in chapter 17.

…3Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”… Luke 17: 3-5

Give and it will be given to you - Give freely as you have received freely, so it is with forgiveness, it was not free, but it was free to you. God paid dearly for our pardon. You and I have never suffered so much and we are completely delusional to say we have suffered in any way like the Innocent One. 

…6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.… 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8

Can a blind man lead a blind man - We recall Jesus's many interactions with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Scribes of both schools. These were the religious leaders, and they had their own disciples who followed them about, but they were more concerned with teaching the traditions of men, even when they went against the words of the Living God. They studied the Scriptures looking for the Messiah, but refused to recognize Him when He came. The Scribes favored their own words over God's and those who followed them fell into the same pit. They thought more about a man made ritual than the state of a man's heart. 

…13But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots. 14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”…

…16“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked. 17“ Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.…

…19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. 20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”  Matthew 15: 13-20 

More from Matthew 15

3If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.… 1 Timothy 6: 3-5

Everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher - Be careful who you follow, this is the outcome. Be careful of what you follow, your feelings may lead you astray.  Consider the cost.

…19If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. 20Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well. 21But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.… John 15: 19-21

But do not notice the log that is in your own eye - Here in the very chapter we have more context about the, "judge not lest ye be judged" quote that everyone is so familiar with. You have somehow been able to notice a sin in the life of your brother, but it is extraordinary that you are able to see this at all considering the sin in your own life. This is hypocrisy. Even King David, who as king had to often pass judgment, was brought into judgment for this same sort of hypocrisy. He was violently angry about someone stealing a lamb, yet he had committed adultery and added to that, murder, in order to cover it up. 

…5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.” 7Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.… 2 Samuel 12: 5-7

…27But if a wicked man turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. 28Because he considered and turned from all the transgressions he had committed, he will surely live; he will not die. 29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are My ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?… Ezekiel 18: 27-29

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?… Romans 2: 1-3

Then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye - Even more clarification that doesn't fit the popular interpretation. Now that the great beam has been removed from your eye, it is time to address the spec in your brother's eye. Again, sin has already been judged, God has already defined it, but now we are moving towards loving confrontation in the hopes of restoration.

…19Do not entertain an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 20But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin. 21I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.… 1 Timothy 5: 19-21

19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5: 19-20

Even Peter was rebuked by Paul because it is better to be right in the eyes of God then men, and your title does not make you say or do right, it has to be that before you say or do it. Peter was an Apostle, but when he acted the hypocrite Paul became his most loving friend by way of confronting his sin. A wise man takes correction.

11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. 12For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.… Galatians 2: 11-13

Each tree is known by it's own fruit - Now we are literally being told through the figure of a fruit tree how to judge. When I say I am a Christian it is not wrong for someone to look for the fruit that backs that up. A true Christian is someone who has been born again, a new creature indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

…19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.…

…22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.…

…25Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another. Galatians 5: 19-26 

Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you - I do what my boss says because I fear losing my job, not being able to provide for my family. I do what the police officer says because he has a gun and I heard and believe that it hurts to get shot, even kills sometimes. Oddly, when it comes to what the Creator of the Universe says, the Being with infinite power, Who is eternally Holy and Just, men just give a nod and then go do what ever the "heart wants". He asks a fair question, why do you call yourself a Christian, one of His disciples, and then live opposed to what He says? Why do say I follow Christ, yet wait to see what the world believes today before you profess what you think a Christian should say, adjusting it to find favor with the world? Lord means master, and if a tree is known by it's fruit then who is your real master? I know what you are going to say, "judge not lest ye be judged", right? Well go back to the beginning of this and read it again.

18Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us. 20You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.… 1 John 2: 18-20

…22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ 24Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.… Matthew 7: 22-24