Judging

Introduction

Are you the same person now as you were five years ago? Don’t answer too quickly. It is easier to see some changes than others. If you are 12 years old, then you know that a lot of changes have occurred in the last five years. You are probably more mature in a number of ways. Adults may have more trouble noticing the changes over a five year period but the changes still occur. Adults certainly recognize changes from childhood to adulthood. Wouldn’t it be sad if as an adult we were still treated as if we were children? Wouldn’t it be funny for someone to remind us to eat our vegetables, put on our coat, or to take a bath?

Can you imagine what it would be like to be treated spiritually as if no change had taken place? Can you imagine for the murderer to always be treated like a murderer? Or the liar to always be treated as a liar? Do we believe that people can change? Have we changed in our spiritual thinking and actions? We want to be treated with mercy when it comes to our sin. We want to be treated as people who are capable of changing and who have changed. It would be unfair to be treated as someone who hasn’t changed when indeed we have. This is the point of our text this morning. Continuing with Jesus’ thought about mercy, he encourages those who follow him to be merciful in how we look at others spiritually. May we be reminded that we want to be given mercy. Such a gift demands that we share mercy with others.

Judgment

Often people come to this text and want this text to say something that it doesn’t say. Jesus does not tell us to ignore the sin of others. We are not to ignore when a person sins. Sin is not only to be recognized but a call for repentance is needed as well. Jesus is not talking about ignoring sin. He is talking about an attitude of acceptance. With the instruction to be merciful, Jesus extends that mercy in terms of forgiveness. Do not condemn. Forgive quickly. Extend mercy quickly and fully.

The promise is that when we extend this mercy to others, we too will receive extensive mercy. In fact, the promise is this—the standard we use with others will be the standard that will be used with us. If you want a lot of mercy, then extend a lot of mercy. You want to be given the benefit of the doubt then give the benefit of the doubt in ample measure. Jesus is discussing the attitude of one who follows him. Our attitude is to be one in which we are willing to believe that a person can change and that former sins are not to be held against that person. This is true in all relationships including marriage and parents with children. Children mess up. Correction is needed but treating the child who has changed as if there is no change is to be without mercy.

The same is true in marriage. Spouses sin against one another. Change needs to take place. When change has occurred, mercy extends so that the spouse is treated differently. The spouse who brings up the past as if the person hasn’t changed is being merciless and the promise is that God will be without mercy toward you. Repentance expects change. No change—no repentance. To say one is sorry is not sufficient. One must change in both attitude and actions. But when that change takes place, for a person to treat another as if that change hasn’t occurred is to treat another without mercy.

But Jesus doesn’t stop with extending mercy when change is seen. He instructs that we are to extend mercy even before change is seen. A person who sins needs to know that based on their repentance that they are going to be given a chance to change. To extend no mercy without seeing change first is to ignore God’s desire. He wants his people to have an attitude of acceptance and believing that the person can change. There is a world of difference between the person who says “I know this is wrong and I don’t want to change” and the person who says “I know this is wrong. I want to change but am struggling to make the change.” How long do you want your past held against you? How much must one do to prove that changes have taken place?

Jesus illustrates his point in verses 39-40. The blind leading the blind is to show the foolishness of trying to trust in your own self-righteousness. The arrogant soon falls. The man who fails to show mercy is only one sin away from being condemned for his own sin. Jesus says it is important to choose one’s teacher carefully. This carries a reference to the Pharisees and to himself. Follow the Pharisees and their spiritual blindness will leave you blind. Follow Jesus and you will see mercy in action. Jesus had little to offer the arrogant and self-righteous. Those who needed mercy found it with Jesus. Staying close to Jesus will teach us how to be merciful.

Jesus further gives the example of the person with a large beam sticking out of the eye trying to help someone with a speck of dust in their eye. The person with the beam sticking out of the eye cannot see clearly enough to help the one with the speck. Jesus is saying that those who are arrogant and self-righteous find it easy to see the faults in others and fail to see their own faults. Jesus is calling for introspection and correct one’s own faults before helping to correct others.

Application

How do we develop an attitude of mercy and acceptance? Jesus says it starts with your teacher. Who are drawing close to know and understand? Who are you allowing to teach you?

If you grow up in a family in which retaliation is valued, then you haven’t learned from Jesus. If you listen to your friends who tell you to mistreat someone else because they mistreated you, then you have not learned from Jesus. If your heart is judgmental and arrogant, then you have not learned from Jesus.

Having Jesus as our teacher means that we must spend time with him. We read our Bibles. We study with others. We immerse ourselves in books that instruct us in the ways of Jesus.

Second, Jesus says we have to start with ourselves. We have to remove the beam in our own eye. Look at your own life. If there is a sin issue, then you need to get rid of it. I am talking about an area that you have given yourself over to and you seem powerless to walk away from it.

Flesh sin is particularly difficult to walk away from. Sin which appeals to the flesh—sexual, alcohol, drugs, overeating. These flesh sins are difficult to deal with by yourself.

Sin of the attitude is difficult to deal with. In this context a judgmental spirit is a sin of the attitude. To look down at another because of their sin is a sin of the attitude. Pride and arrogance of the spirit is difficult to see in yourself and even more difficult to deal with alone.

What sin do you need to remove from your life? It is difficult to rid self of sin. Seek the help of your brothers and sisters and draw near to your teacher—Jesus.

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