1 Judge not, that you be not judged.2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.3 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?4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log 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.
We need to make sure we understand this passage rightly. Jesus is not making a blanket statement that to point out the speck in someone’s eye is to always be judgmental. It is conditional: IF I have dealt with the log in my eye AND IF my attitude is to lovingly and humbly help a brother with an issue he’s having, THEN I can address that with him in a non-judgmental way. That is in keeping with Jesus’ ministry and teaching.
There is a huge attitude difference here. Pointing out someone else’s issue to shame them or make myself look or feel superior while ignoring my own is hypocrisy. That form of judging I am never to do. However, when I see someone with an issue and “judging” that to be something that could be potentially be harmful to them and their relationship with Christ, it should actually motivate me to examine myself and deal with my own issues so that I can minister to their needs.
We have to stop looking at this passage as to equate pointing out the speck in someone’s eye with automatically judging. Jesus is plainly giving the prescription for being able to help others with their “speck”: “THEN YOU WILL SEE CLEARLY TO TAKE…”.
I know for me, I often need help in dealing with the painful and irritating specks in my own eyes…just make sure you clean out your own eyes first so you don’t damage mine.
David, you are spot on. I am currently reading John MacArthur’s new book, “The Jesus You Cannot Ignore.” In it he deals with this passage in an insightful manner that lines up with what you have written.
Thanks, Frank. I’ll have to check out that book.
Great word David. Little did I know that I actually had questions on that passage and you cleared them right up. I’ve been doing scripture research on judging because I felt that when I saw something amiss in someone else’s life and searched my heart and life to make sure it wasn’t there I felt that I was juding them by examing thier life to check my own. Sometimes I think I get juding and examining their “fruit” mixed up. I feel like looking at the fruit or lack there of, is a form of judgment but scripture says we will know them by thier fruit so we have to look at them., right? So how you discern what is examing fruit and what is judging? Is the only difference how we percieve in our heart what they are doing and not judging thier heart?
Emily, I think for us to be the kind of instruments who can be used to help restore clear spiritual vision, we must be in a constant place of self-evaluation and, more importantly, submission before the Holy Spirit for HIS evaluation before we can be useful. In other words, it’s not so much that I see something in you, do a quick eval on myself to make sure that I’m good, then help you out of that. It’s that I’m REGULARLY asking if there is ANYTHING in me that is an offense towards God and have Him deal with that. (Psalm 139). Once that is our lifestyle, then we are in a position to help and encourage those around us to move to that place of confession and repentance, as we are doing.
I think Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 5 is helpful in this:
I think Paul (as an overseer, thus the strong tone) is speaking from a desire to keep the Body of Christ pure but also for the concern of the individual in the sin: Purge them SO THAT his spirit may be saved…. In no uncertain terms is Paul speaking anything less than having passed judgment on the sin, but it is clearly the Word of God that has been the judge (notice verse 13 is a quote…Paul is simply quoting Old Testament instruction from God). We are not to judge based on what we feel is right or wrong but on what the Word of God says is right and wrong. The problem comes when, unlike Paul, we fail to continuously bring ourselves before the purging work of the Holy Spirit to keep us from those same sinful attitudes. If I stay close to Christ and am regularly brought to repentance of my own shortcomings, then I will be in a position to address the sins of others who claim the name of Christ, calling them to repentance, as well.
What about arrogance and hypocrisy? It would seem as though to call for repentance in someone else would be hypocritical and arrogant since we, ourselves, are guilty of sin. That would most likely be said by someone who has never been confronted with their own sin and shortcomings. Otherwise, they would understand that someone who has has been truly broken over their sin never goes to anyone from a place of pride, but rather a place of empathy and grace: “I understand how EASY it is to fall into this place you are in because I am so often there myself. That is why we need Christ to deliver us and MUST repent. I also know how destructive this is so that is why we have to encourage EACH OTHER to repentance and relying on Christ.” Those are not words of judgment, but rather words of someone who understands the desert conditions they find themselves in, encouraging the other to keep moving to the water to keep from dying (that analogy quickly breaks down, but hopefully you get the point).
So, really there is an attitude that precedes the action: am I desiring to address that person to deflect my attention away from my own guilt? Is it to make myself feel better by highlighting their sin? Is it because I have experienced forgiveness and restoration and desperately want them to feel the same refreshing I have? I am not the Holy Spirit, so I don’t bring the conviction, but I can be used by God to create an environment of repentance.
Thanks David. I’m going to be rereading this a few times to let it all sink in.