Seeds for 06/21/2023 - Matthew 7:1-2
Scripture: 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Observation: The result of taking judgment into our own hands could not be more plainly stated, could it?
Jesus warns His disciples not to judge, a proclivity exercised by, but not exclusive to, the Pharisees and religious leaders of His day.
I admit, this is a challenging command. Why? Good judgment is important. Discerning right from wrong and choosing right over wrong is important. But is this the same thing as judging? I think not. Yet, I can all too easily slide from working to exercise good judgment into sitting in judgment. Not good.
Jesus explanation is helpful: “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
How might we be tempted to judge others? What about with partial information and lack of context? What about with rigidity and harshness? What about with bias and prejudice instead of evenhandedness and generosity? I’m guilty. Anyone else?
What about this notion of the measure we might use? I’m tempted to measure myself at my best and someone else at their worst. I don’t think I’m alone here. I give myself the benefit of the doubt, but have the highest standard at top of mind for someone else, Lord help me.
Sometimes, of course, we hold others to a high standard and ourselves to an impossible one. Harsh self-judgment is its own adjacent malady.
Trying to exercise good judgment leads us to “Trust in the Lord… and lean not on our own understanding.” It leads us to seek God for wisdom. When we do so with humble hearts, good judgment excludes judging others. Why? Because we recognize the folly and exhaustion of doing so, and we see the wisdom of Jesus’ words. Good judgment recognizes the only true Judge is Jesus and leaves that work up to Him.
Application:
When are you tempted to judge?
How do you differentiate between practicing good judgment and sitting in judgment over others?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, grant me a humble heart, that I might seek and submit to your ways, including embodying the grace of Christ. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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