"Do not judge, or you will be judged. Sermons
I. IT IS DANGEROUS. In judging others we court judgment ourselves. 1. From men. The critic becomes unpopular. By his irritating conduct he excites animosity, and induces people to be on the look out for his offences. They will be ready to use the tu quoque argument in sheer self-defence. None of us is so perfect as to be able to stand the fire of adverse criticism without a defect being revealed. The fierce light that beats upon a critic should quiet his censoriousness. 2. From God. It is unpleasant for our faults to be exposed by men; it is far worse, it is fatal, for them to bring down upon us the judgment of God. Yet it is the repeated teaching of Christ that God will deal with us as we deal with our neighbours. If we do not forgive them, God will not forgive us. With the unmerciful he will show himself unmerciful. So long as we make it our business to point out the sins of other people there is no hope that our sins will be blotted out (Matthew 6:15). II. IT IS HYPOCRITICAL. The censorious person is the last to perceive his own sin. It may be huge as a beam, yet he is quite unable to see it while he is busy in hunting for the speck of dust in his brother's eye. There is nothing which so hinders a person from heart-searching self-examination, nothing which so hardens him in self-complacent pride, as the habit of finding fault with other people. The prophet may be a greater sinner than the people whom he is denouncing; yet the very act of denunciation blinds him to his own great wickedness. The English bear a reputation of hypocrisy on the Continent, and are not popular there as a nation, because they are constantly denouncing "continental vices," while dishonesty in trade, self-seeking in politics, and immorality in life belie their exalted pretensions. It is a common habit of Churches to thunder against the heresies and wrong-doings of sister-communions; they would do better to look at home first. Religious people are horrified at the sight of publicans and sinners; but have they nothing to be ashamed of? Comparing their advantages with the temptations of the miserable drunkards and harlots whom they denounce, they might well ask whether their pride, uncharitableness, and covetousness may not be veritable beams in the eyes of God. III. IT IS FUTILE. While there is a beam in his own eye the critic cannot remove the mote from his brother's eye. To do so is to perform a very delicate operation. Any obscurity of vision will allow only of a bungling attempt, that will give much pain and yet will not effect its purpose. The beam must go first. While a man is blinded to his sin, he cannot save his neighbour. Christ, the Saviour of the world, was sinless. Christians must seek deliverance from their own sins before they undertake a crusade for the saving of their brethren. The humility that confesses personal unworthiness is the spirit best fitted for seeking to save lost and degraded fellow-men and women. - W.F.A.
Judge not. I. THE PROHIBITION. It refers to the conduct of private individuals, not to men in a public capacity; nor to hinder private persons from forming any opinion upon the misconduct of others. It forbids the indulgence of a censorious temper.II. The METHODS BY WHICH HE REPROVES and condemns it. 1. He refers to the common principle of retribution. 2. As another corrective we are reminded of our own imperfections.(1) Men of this description have no right to sit in judgment on others, who are themselves guilty of the same crimes.(2) They have no moral qualification for its discharge. 3. Our Saviour directs us to reform our own conduct before we undertake to sit in judgment on that of others. III. The CAUTION WHICH WE MUST OBSERVE IN ITS DISCHARGE — "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs," etc. (J. E. Good.) 1. We are warned against judgments that are prejudiced. Not to judge others by a sort of hasty inspiration, by their manner, or by their class or locality. 2. We are warned against judgments that are uncalled for. Sometimes our duty; but often not required of us to judge our neighbour's character. 3. We are warned against judgments that are one-sided. Must hear both sides. 4. We are warned against unmerciful judgments. Danger arises from attributing motives. We must beware lest we ignore the possibilities of good even in a bad man. Be as merciful as you can be to the sinner. 5. We are warned against blind judgment — "Why beholdest thou," etc. Evil men more suspicious of others. II. RETRIBUTIVE judgments — who will inflict them (Luke 6:37, 38). 1. The first solution is that they are the judgments of men. This not practically true. 2. Consider the interpretation which attributes the retributive judgments to angels. It is not our Lord's wont to attribute judgment, forgiveness, etc., to angels. 3. God will inflict them. He judges men according to the state of mind in which they live. (J. E. Rust, M. A.) I. THE DUTY — "Judge not."1. From the context it is evident that the Saviour here speaks only of those judgments that we form concerning our neighbour. Favourable judgments are not forbidden; unfavourable judgments allowed, when our station or clear evidence require. Judges, parents, teachers, must condemn and publicly censure. Our Lord condemns — 1. The inward disposition of the mind which inclines persons to judge the actions of their neighbours with (1) (2) (3) 2. He condemns the habit of communicating to others the rash and severe judgments we have formed, when no necessity requires it. We multiply the injury in proportion to the number of persons to whom we communicate our unfavourable opinions. II. THE MOTIVE. If we thus judge our brethren, there is more than one tribunal at which we shall be condemned. 1. We shall find for ourselves in society judges without pity. 2. The rigour at the last judgment. God will punish those who have encroached upon His rights, and who have trampled down the rules of justice and charity. (H. Kollock, D. D.) 1. Such judgment provokes retaliation.2. Such judgment is not becoming in us. Such a sinner has no right to sit in the judgment seat. 3. Such judgment shows incapacity for true judgment. (Sermons by Monday Climb.) There are divers sorts of judging which it is requisite to distinguish from the judging prohibited: —1. That exercising public judgment, or administering justice, is not here prohibited. 2. The trial and censure, although out of court, which any kind of superiors do exercise on their inferiors, committed to their care, such as masters and servants. 3. Neither is friendly reproof proceeding out of charitable design, on clear ground, in fit season, within reasonable compass, concerned in this prohibition. 4. All observing and reflecting on our neighbours' actions, all framing an opinion about them, and expressing our minds concerning them, are not forbidden. 5. We are not hence obliged to think so well of all men as without competent knowledge always to rely on their pretences, or to entrust our interests in their hands. 6. We are not obliged, in contradiction to plain sense, to judge all men well.We observe: 1. No judge should intrude himself into the office, or assume a judicial power, without competent authority, either by delegation from superior powers, or by voluntary reference to the parties concerned. 2. A judge should be free from all prejudices and all partial affections. 3. A judge should never proceed in judgment without careful examination of the cause, so as well to understand it. 4. A judge should never pronounce final sentence, but after certain proof and on full conviction. 5. Hence there are divers causes wholly exempt from our judgment, such as the secret thoughts of men. 6. Hence we should not judge the state of our neighbour in regard to God. 7. A judge should not proceed against any man without warning, and affording him opportunity to defend himself. 8. Moreover a judge is obliged to conform all his determinations to the settled rules of judgment. 9. He must be a person of good knowledge and ability. 10. It is proper for a judge not to make himself an accuser. 11. He should himself be innocent. 12. He should proceed with great moderation.Again: 1. Censuring is an impious practice in regard to God. 2. In respect to our neighbour it is an unjust practice. 3. It is an uncharitable practice. 4. It is a foolish and vain practice. 5. It will produce many inconveniences and mischiefs. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (Dr. Barrow.) little boy once went home to his mother and said, "Mother, sister and I went out into the garden, and we were calling about, and there was some boy mocking us." "How do you mean, Johnny?" said his mother. "Why," said the child, "I was calling out, 'He!' and this boy said, 'He!' So I said to him, 'Who are you?' and he answered, 'Who are you?' I said, 'What is your name?' he said, 'What is your name?' And I said to him, 'Why don't you show yourself?' he said, ' Show yourself?' And I jumped over the ditch, and I went into the woods, and I could not find him, and I came back, and said, 'If you don't come out I will punch your head!' and he said, 'I will punch your head!' "So his mother said, "Ah, Johnny I if you had said, 'I love you,' he would have said, 'I love You.' If you had said, 'Your voice is sweet,' he would have said, 'Your voice is sweet.' Whatever you said to him, he would have said back to you." And the mother also said, "Now, Johnny, when you grow and get to be a man, whatever you say to others they will, by and by, say back to you." And his mother took him to that old text in the Scripture, "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."Censoriousness is a compound of many of the worst passions; latent pride, which discovers the mote in our brother's eye, but hides the beam in our own; malignant envy, which, wounded at the noble talents and superior prosperity of others, transforms them into the objects and food of its malice — if possible, obscuring the splendour it is too base to emulate; disguised hatred, which diffuses, in its perpetual mutterings, the irritable venom of the heart; servile duplicity, which fulsomely praises to the face and blackens behind the back; shameless levity, which sacrifices the peace and reputation of the absent, merely to give barbarous stings to a jocular conversation; altogether forming an aggregate the most desolating on earth, and nearest in character to the malice of hell.(E. L. Magoon.) Pedley, who was a well-known natural simpleton, was wont to say, "God help the fool." None are more ready to pity the folly of others than those who have a small share of wit themselves. "There is no love among Christians," cries the man who is destitute of true charity. "Zeal has vanished," exclaims the idle talker. "O for more consistency," groans out the hypocrite. "We want more vital godliness," protests the false pretender. As in the old legend, the wolf preached against sheep-stealing, so very many hunt down those sins in others, which they gladly shelter in themselves.(C. H. Spurgeon.) Avoid forming refined and romantic notions of human perfection in anything. For these are much apter to heighten our expectations from others, and our demands upon them, than to increase our watchfulness over ourselves; and so every failure provokes us more highly than it would have done else.People JesusPlaces GalileeTopics Judge, Judged, Judges, Won'tOutline 1. Do Not Judge7. Ask, Seek, Knock 13. Enter through the Narrow Gate 15. A Tree and Its Fruit 24. The Wise and the Foolish Builders 28. Jesus ends his sermon, and the people are astonished. Dictionary of Bible Themes Matthew 7:1 8452 neighbours, duty to 1660 Sermon on the Mount Library November 22. "Cast the Beam Out of Thine Own Eye" (Matt. vii. 5). "Cast the beam out of thine own eye" (Matt. vii. 5). Greater than the fault you condemn and criticise is the sin of criticism and condemnation. There is no place we need such grace as in dealing with an erring one. A lady once called on us on her way to give an erring sister a piece of her mind. We advised her to wait until she could love her a little more. Only He who loved sinners well enough to die for them can deal with the erring. We never see all the heart. He does, and He can convict without … Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth January 12. "Ask and it Shall be Given You" (Matt. vii. 7). Judging, Asking, and Giving The Two Paths The Two Houses The Christ of the Sermon on the Mount On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. vii. 7, "Ask, and it Shall be Given You;" Etc. An Exhortation to Alms-Deeds. Known by their Fruits. Casting Blame. False Prophets A Man Expects to Reap the Same Kind as He Sows. The Mote and the Beam Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force must Inevitably be Accepted by Men of the Present Day. Fifth Lesson. Ask, and it Shall be Given You; Sixth Lesson. How Much More?' The Beggar. Mt 7:7-8 Here Again Arises a Very Difficult Question. For in what Way Shall we Fools... Asking, Seeking, Finding. --Matt. vii. 7, 8 Assurance and Encouragement. --Matt. vii. 7, 8 The Strait Gate; Parting Counsels Author's Preface. 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