In Matthew 6 and 7, we readable about keys to living well, or healthily, in God. What we also see is talk about judging.
Judging is like carrying weights. It might be unforgiveness, or offence, disappointment. God wants us to live lightly, restored and faithful.
One of the weights is that of wrong judgement, or judging others wrongly.
See Matthew 7:1-6 instructs us to not judge. Wrong judgement will put a weight on us that is restrictive to our freedom.
We can try to illuminate others' sins to make us feel better. Gossip is an example, in which we judge wrongly.
Judgement, as Pastor Paul de Jong explains, is negatively looking down upon others. It gives licence to the enemy to load our lives with weights. It means looking for faults, and leading to a 'holier-than-thou' approach. Even jumping to conclusions is an example of judging wrongly.
Verse 3 talks about a plank in someone's eye. Remember that Jesus was a carpenter, knowing timber well. And picture how a person would look, having a piece of timber in your eye while criticizing others. A bit like us when we watch footy as well from a couch!
Jesus was looking at the religious leaders and pointing out how they were being hypocritical. Galatians 6:1 reminds us to restore another from sin, gently. Clean up our act, He was saying, before tampering in the lives of others.
• Focus judgment on yourself first.
• Don't judge, lest you be judged. (See 1 Corinthians 11:31 and Romans 14:1-5, 10.)
• Don't judge beyond your sphere of responsibility.
• When you judge rightly, judge in the shadow of Calvary (Luke 6:37, Matthew 6:14).
So from today on, spend more time building your life rather than putting energy into judging things external to you - as Pastor de Jong encourages.
See Jesus as your greatest mentor, who forced the mob to consider their sin when faced with a woman to be stoned. He didn't look down on her, neither did He justify her behaviour.
Be released, too, by not judging wrongly.
- Posted using an Apple iPad on behalf of Empower Christian Church, Australia
Location:Molan St,Ringwood,Australia
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