Jesus lived only about thirty-three years, and His preaching covered only about a three year period. Much of that time was spent preparing His disciples for their work after He returned to His Father in heaven.
His sermon on the mount dealt with such subjects as a person’s happiness, influence, worship and his relationship with the law and the gospel, money – and how to relate to people in the world.
One of His best-remembered, yet most abused, subjects is found in Matthew 7:1-5. (It would be helpful if you would read that passage before continuing this material). Did you read all five verses? If you did not, you could easily come away with an erroneous viewpoint.
Note what is not taught here:
- Jesus does not forbid the making of judgments of every kind. In this same chapter, verse 15, Jesus says “Beware of false prophets,” and tells how to determine whether one is a “false” prophet or teacher. You can hardly “beware” of a false prophet/teacher if you are forbidden to compare his teaching with Christ’s, thus making a judgment.
Jesus’ disciples must of necessity make judgments, and such that will not violate verses 1-5. Every day will bring Christians face to face with decisions, judgments regarding behavior and speech, and Matthew 7:1-5 will be helpful and in harmony with that necessity.
- Christians are not forbidden to find and discern truth. In 1 John 4:1 and 2 John 1:9-11 Christians are told to determine what is truth and to rebuke teachers of false doctrine. Christ has sent all of us on a great mission, and telling and discerning truth is a major part of that mission. No one can be pleasing to God who does not know truth or has no respect for truth. It is God’s truth that will “make you free,” and we must and can “know” that truth, John 8:31-32.
Jesus did not contradict Himself! We must not “call good evil, or put darkness for light,” Isaiah 5:20. That, however, does not allow us to assume the place of God when we are ill-prepared to fulfill that task. He also says “…woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes,” Isaiah 5:21. Our attitudes and actions must be pure. We must not bid “God-speed” to those who refuse to teach God’s truth. Therefore, we must compare what men teach with what the Bible teaches. That shows respect for God and for His word.
Note what is taught in 7:1-5:
Jesus forbids caustic, unkind, unfair judgment by His people. He also demands that one who corrects another look first to his own life, his own behavior. It must have been a humorous saying to those who heard it first. He describes one who has a “beam” (log, ASV, or plank, NKJV) in his eye, and that man is in the process of rebuking, ridiculing a man who has a small speck in his eye. While this makes use of a form of hyperbole, or exaggeration, it should be easy to see what is meant. Is Jesus not saying this:
“Before you try to rid others of their sin, you would be wise first to rid yourself of your own faults. Then, and only then, will you be in a position to help others.”
When we are beset with sin, with obvious weaknesses, we can seldom see or know how to give assistance to those whose problems are much less obvious or serious than ours. It should be easy to see this principle without prompting, but “there is none so blind as he who will not see.”
Unfortunately, when we are in such a condition, there is the strong temptation to call attention to the weaknesses of others in an attempt to take the eyes of others off our own. Poor motives eventuate in poor choices and poor behavior. Jesus, in this context, emphasizes the need for us to be fair, to be long-suffering with others, looking first to our own life before we criticize others.
Should Christians correct others?
In Romans 3:23 we read that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” If another is in sin, should we not want to reconcile them to God? Should we merely allow them to go their merry way, go on living in sin, failing to realize the consequences of such behavior?
Here we see the difference in showing another the way back to God, back to the hope of heaven, and merely condemning them, just pointing out their faults without caring for their soul. We know the difference is our love for their soul.
In Galatians 6:1-2 we read:
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
We should see the difference between this attitude and that of one who is anxious to “judge” another without “considering [him]self”? Yes, we should correct and “restore” others. But we must do so with their best interests in our heart.
