“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.” (Matthew 7:5, ESV)
Yesterday as we looked at Jesus’ teaching regarding judging, we concluded that this principle, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” deals with the issue of the heart. Yet, this statement has been broadly misapplied by many. The statement, “You are not to judge me!” comes to mind.
Imagine living in a world where there is no judging? A world where anything goes. We could not live in such a place. Anarchy would truly reign.
Imagine driving down a residential road marked 25 miles per hour doing 60 miles per hour. The policeman stops you and says you were doing 35 miles per hour over the speed limit. So you use this defense, “Officer, the Bible says you are not to judge me because you too will be judged.” I can tell you that this defense will not work.
So, what was Jesus’ point in this statement?
In this principle of judging, Jesus taught that we should first judge ourselves. It would be very difficult to see the finest splinter in another’s eye if we had a log stuck in our own eye.
Yet, beyond this, we also must make moral and ethical judgments on things happening in our church and society. This is called biblical discernment.
Are we not to judge the sinful actions of others? Are we not to judge the false teachings of others? In both cases, the Scriptures indicate that we must. Consider the following verses.
“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21, ESV)
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1, ESV)
“The spiritual person judges all things. . .” (1 Corinthians 2:15, ESV)
To do what Paul mentions here obviously requires a judgment. Someone must identify a false teaching or that a brother has fallen. Yet, we must remember that both types of judgment must come from the backdrop of humility and in alignment with the word of God. Without humility and the word, people will become self-appointed Pharisaic spiritual policemen in the church.
This issue of humility is exactly what the Lord referred to in this teaching.
“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.” (Matthew 7:5, ESV)
You see, the biggest log that gets in our own eye is the log of spiritual pride. This log hinders our clear sight. The log of spiritual pride is so large, that people who look in the mirror cannot see that they really have it. These claim that they have no struggle with this most heinous of sins. Pride leads to harsh criticism rather than healthy correction.
The person that lacks humility will consider that his interpretation of Scripture is always correct and will not entertain an open-minded dialogue to resolve his conflict with the teaching of another. Likewise, the person lacking humility will generally not seek the restoration of a fallen brother in a spirit of gentleness. The spiritual person is a humble person. The humble person realizes that he like his fallen brother is a work in progress, and that he too is growing in Christ-likeness, having his own struggles and faults.
Yes, true citizens of the Kingdom do judge. They judge others. However, they can only do this if they are spiritual people, those who first judge themselves correctly, demonstrating humility. This results in a spirit gentleness in judging all things.
Renewing the Heart 