Old Testament Reading: Psalm 75

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A PSALM OF ASAPH. A SONG. We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’ ” For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.” (Psalm 75, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 6:37-45

“‘Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.’ He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.’ ‘Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.’ ‘For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.’” (Luke 6:37–45, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Brothers and sisters, it has been a true joy for me to study Jesus’ Sermon on the Plane (as it is traditionally called) and to deliver these sermons to you over the past couple of weeks. As you know, this teaching from Jesus begins in Luke 6:20 and runs through to the end of the chapter. Here Jesus gathers his newly called disciples and his twelve apostles to himself and he begins to teach them. He delivers sayings to them, and you will notice that the sayings are all about attitude and outlook resulting in a way of life. The Christian faith is a way of life, brothers and sisters. And to live in the way that Christ has commanded, we must perceive the world and think according to his word. 

I think it is very significant that these sayings of Jesus are the first things that he said to his disciples (after they were officially called and gathered). First words are very important, wouldn’t you agree? The first words spoken (especially to a newly formed group) set the tone. They establish a direction. And so we should pay very careful attention to these sayings of Jesus which he delivered at first to his disciples.

Now, it must be acknowledged that these sayings of Jesus were not the first things that the disciples of Jesus had learned and believed. These men who followed Jesus knew the Old Testament Scriptures very well. They believed that the Scriptures are the Word of God. They knew the God of the Bible. And they knew the promises that God had made concerning a Savior or Messiah who would eventually come into the world. They believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and this is why they followed him. The point that I am making here is that these disciples of Jesus were not novices. They were not ignorant of the Scriptures. They were not unaware of the promises of God. These men knew the Bible, brothers, and sisters. They understood the storyline of Scripture and the history of God’s work of redemption. Stated in theological terms, they had a solid understanding of the doctrine of Scripture, God, creation, man, covenant, sin, and salvation in Christ. Did they have a lot to learn? Yes, in some ways they did. They had a lot to learn about Jesus the Messiah, how he would accomplish our redemption, and the nature of the New Covenant and the eternal kingdom that he came to inaugurate. Yes, they had a lot to learn. But they were by no means lacking in Biblical and theological foundations. Many of them possessed a true and lively faith. And so Jesus did not begin teaching his disciples as we typically do, by providing answers to questions like these: Who is the first and chiefest being? Ought every one to believe there is a God? How may we know there is a God? What is the Word of God? Etc. They knew these doctrines well. Christ did not need to lay down these doctrinal foundations. And so he presented them with ethical teachings – teachings about the attitude, outlook, and way of life that his followers were to adopt. 

In the Sermon on the Plane, Jesus demanded that his disciples see and know for certain that those who follow him are truly blessed. They are blessed even if they are hungry, poor, despised, and mistreated in the world. They are blessed because to them belongs the eternal kingdom of God. And in contrast to this, those who choose the riches of this world and the respect of others over Christ, are truly in a woeful condition. They may be full now, but they will be eternally hungry. They may laugh now,  but they will weep eternally. This is the opposite of how the world sees things, but Christ commands his followers to take this view. This we learned in Luke 6:20-26. 

And in Luke 6:27-36 Jesus commands his followers to love even their enemies. Those in the world love their friends. Those in the world love those they consider to be lovely or worthy. The world hates its enemies and is accustomed to returning evil for evil, insult for insult, and blow for blow. But Christ commands his followers to be different.” Love your enemies”, he says. “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:27–31). In Luke 6:35 Christ summarizes this teaching, saying, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35–36).

Of course, this is a review. And I have provided this review, not only to remind you of what we have learned but so that you might see that Jesus continues to address the attitude or ethos of his disciples in the passage that is before us today. We have heard him say, “Blessed are you… (Luke 6:20-26), and “Love your enemies…” Here Christ says, “Judge not, and you will not be judged”. This whole passage, which begins in Luke 6:37 and ends in verse 45, is about the judgmental attitude that Christ forbids.   

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Judge Not

In verses 37 and 38, we find four commands. Two are negative and two are positive: “Judge not”, “condemn not”, “forgive” and “give”. So, Christ’s disciples are not to judge or condemn; they are to forgive and give. This is to be our attitude towards others. We are not to be judgemental or condemning. Instead, we are to be forgiving and generous.

Notice that after each one of these commands, we find a general description of how we will be treated by others should we obey. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.”.

In the second half of verse 38, we find a brief illustration concerning the charity and generosity that we are to show to others and the charity and generosity that will be returned to us. When Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap”, we are to picture a merchant being generous with their customer. 

To give a modern example, if you go to Rite Aid to buy a pint of ice cream, what are you thinking as the clerk fills up the container? Press it down, press it down, and fill it up to the brim! You probably don’t say it out loud, but you are hoping that the clerk is generous with you. If you were to purchase a bag of grain, you would be hoping that the merchant would shake it together so that the grain settles in the bag and you get more. If you were purchasing olive oil, you would want the merchant to fill the bottle up to the point of overflowing. 

Here Christ is commanding his disciples to be generous with others. I think it is right for us to see that this is an extension of the command to love even your enemies and to do unto others as you would have them do unto you, which we encountered in the previous passage. Christians are to love. Christians are to be generous. We are not to have a judgemental, condemning attitude towards others. Instead, we are called to be gracious and kind. We are to forgive. We are to give. And we are not to be stingy with our forgiveness and in our giving. Instead, we are called by Christ to be generous. We are to forgive and to give abundantly. Remember, we are to be merciful just as our heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36)! We are to treat others as we would like to be treated.

And then Christ clearly states the principle of reciprocation with these words: “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” The meaning is this: in general, those who are generous to others will have others be generous to them. Those who forgive others will tend to be forgiven. Those who give to others will often be given unto. But those who judge others harshly, and those who condemn others unfairly, will find that they will be harshly judged and condemned. This principle of reciprocation will play out in our human relationships, and there is also a sense in which it will play out in our relationship with God. God will richly bless those who are generous and kind to others. He will forgive those who forgive and abundantly give to those who give abundantly. And certainly, this principle will play out in eternity. 

These teachings of Jesus are very clear, wouldn’t you agree? But some will muddy the clear waters of Jesus’ pure teaching by pushing these sayings of his into contexts they were not intended for. “Judge not”, Jesus says. Does this mean that there is never a time for human judgment? Is a courtroom judge wrong to sentence a convicted criminal? Would the convicted criminal be right to quote the words of Jesus to the judge at his sentencing? Jesus says “Judge not”! That is absurd. Judges are right to judge justly given the office they hold within society. Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:1-7 make this very clear. If Jesus means that there is never a place for human judgment when he says, “Judge not”, then we have a contradiction, for in these passages (and others) he gives civil magistrates the authority to judge and calls them to do so according to truth and justice. 

And I might also ask, is a pastor or church wrong to judge a professing Christian in matters of church discipline? If it is your view that all human judgment is forbidden because Jesus said, “Judge not”, then you have a problem. For the same Jesus who said “judge not” also said, 

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:15–18, ESV)

That sounds like judgment to me. In fact, Christ uses legal language in this passage when he speaks of charges and witnesses and verdicts that are binding. So then, in one place Christ commands his disciples to “judge not”, but in another place, he commands them to judge. 

And consider what Paul the Apostle says about church discipline in 1 Corinthians 5. At the conclusion of a lengthy passage on that theme, he says,  “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:12–13). Here Paul agrees with Jesus when he commands the Corinthians to judge the sinning and unrepentant church member and to “Purge the evil person from among” them.

So what is going on here? How can it be that the Scriptures command us to “judge not” in one place, and to “judge” in another? It’s all about context. Here in Luke 6, Jesus is addressing the mindset, attitude, and disposition of his disciples. He is not forbidding all judgment. He is forbidding a certain kind of judgment though. Specifically, he is forbidding a judgmental spirit in his disciples. 

As I was thinking about how to bring clarity to this point, five words came to my mind. All of them start with the letter “P”. 

The first word is “Pharisee”. Here in this passage, Jesus forbids his disciples from having the judgemental attitude of the Pharisees.  Do you remember how some of the Pharisees treated Jesus and his disciples? We were told about it in Luke 5. The Pharisees and their scribes kept a close eye on Jesus and his disciples, watching and waiting for them to slip up so that they could accuse and condemn them. Their judgments were not according to God’s law but were according to their man-made rules and regulations. Their judgments were harsh and without love and mercy. When Christ says, “judge not” and “condemn not”, he certainly has the attitude of the Pharisees in view. 

The second word that came to mind is “position” or “place”. When Jesus says, “judge not” he means that we are not to have a judgemental and condemning attitude leading us to judge others when it is not our position or place to do so. There are some things that only God can judge. God alone sees the hearts of men. And God alone will judge fully and finally on the last day, condemning those not in Christ to eternal punishment. This he will do through Christ the Son. It is not our place to judge and condemn as only God can. Position or place must also be taken into consideration in matters where humans are permitted (and even called) to judge. Think of criminal cases. May humans judge in criminal cases? Yes. But is it everyone’s place to judge and condemn in a civil case? No. The police officer, judge, jury, and correctional officer all have a special role to play given their place or position. And consider the family. Whose place is it to judge and discipline the children? Typically, it is the mother and father’s place. And the same can be said about the church. In matters of discipline, elders are called to lead and oversee. And local churches are, for the most part, to mind their own business.  If a child in another family is rebellious, it is the mother and father’s responsibility to judge and to discipline. If a Christian in another congregation is sinning, it is the church of which they are a member’s responsibility to call them to repentance. Judgemental people will often stick their noses in other people’s business and judge and condemn from afar when it is not their place to do so. The words of Paul in Romans 14:4 come to mind. “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?”, he asks. 

The third word is “proportionate”. Jesus forbids his disciples from judging and condemning in a disproportionate way. Judgemental people, like the Pharisees who judged Jesus, tend to judge harshly and without mercy. They judged him for healing on the Sabbath. They judged him for plucking grain on the Sabbath. They were harsh in their judgments. They judged without mercy, all the while being blind to their own sin. 

The fourth word is “pleasing”. Jesus would have his disciples judge in a way that is pleasing to our God who delights to show mercy. If God is merciful even to his enemies, and if he has been so gracious to save sinners through faith in Christ Jesus, then how could we who have been treated so kindly by our God, treat others with such harshness? A judgemental and condemning spirit does not please our Lord, for we are called to be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful. 

The fifth word that comes to mind is “perception”. Jesus forbids his disciples from judging without a clear perception (or view) of the sin. First, we must see our own sin, and then we will be able to accurately perceive (or see) the sins of others. 

Notice that the rest of the text is about perception, or seeing. First, Christ warns against following teachers who are blind. After this, Christ warns his followers to take the log out of their own eye before they try to take the speck out of their brother’s eye. And finally, Christ warns his disciples about judging the hearts and minds of others, for whether a man is good or evil will become clear, for men will be known by their fruit. 

Before we go on to consider Jesus’ instruction about judging with clear sight or perception, let us be sure that Jesus’ command is settled in our minds and hearts. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:37–38, ESV). May the Lord have mercy on us and help us overcome our judgmental, critical, and condemning attitudes. May he give us the grace to be generous, kind, forgiving, and merciful to others, just as our Father in Heaven is merciful.

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Remove the Log From Your Own Eye To See The Speck In Your Brothers

As I have said, in the remainder of our passage Christ focuses his attention on the need for his disciples to have a clear perception of sin. First, we must see our own sin clearly. Only then we will be able to think rightly about the sins of others.

First, Jesus warns his disciples about spiritual blindness. Those who are blind should not be followed. And if these disciples and apostles of his were to be good leaders in the church in the future, they would need to have a clear perception of sin, starting with their own. Otherwise, they would be like the Pharisees who were judgemental.

In verse 39 we read, “He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?’” The meaning of the parable is clear. If someone is blind, they will need someone who can see to lead them. And so it is with the relationship between a disciple and a teacher. Teachers (or leaders) must see things clearly if they are to teach and lead others. Here Christ warns us to not follow teachers who are blind. Certainly, he had the self-righteous Pharisees in view. They should not be followed because they were blind to their own sin. They were therefore judgemental of others. And do not forget that Jesus was preparing many of these disciples of his to be future leaders within his church. If they were to lead well, they would need to have a clear perception of sin starting with their own. Only then would they be able to judge others with a right and merciful judgment.

In verse 40 Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” If your teacher is blind, then you will be blind too. But if your teacher sees clearly, then you will see clearly too, once you are fully trained. 

That Jesus is warning against spiritual blindness, and particularly blindness concerning sin, is made clear in verse 41. There Jesus says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:41–42, ESV).

This is a powerful picture that Jesus paints, don’t you agree? Can you imagine someone with a large beam of wood stuck in their eye being concerned with the fact that others have specks or small splinters in their eyes? It’s absurd. The man with a beam of wood in his eye is blind. He cannot see clearly to remove the speck in the eyes of others. 

By the way, everyone knows that the eye is a very delicate part of the body. If someone has a speck in their eye they will need help removing it. But the one who helps remove it will need to be very careful. They will need a steady hand and clear sight. And so it is when addressing the sin of another. Great care must be taken. A steady hand is required. Certainly, clear sight is needed. The one who has splinters (or a plank! ) in his own eye is in no condition to help others with the speck in theirs. The only thing they should be concerned with is removing what is in their eye. And only after that will they be able to see clearly to help others with what is in theirs. 

The Pharisees had beams of wood in their eyes. They were sinners in need of the Savior, but they did not see it. They thought they were righteous. And yet they spent their time looking for faults and sins in others. They were judgemental hypocrites. They were blind leaders. And so Jesus warned his hearers to not follow them or to be like them. The disciples of Jesus, and especially those who would lead within his kingdom, would need to live according to a different ethic. They would need to acknowledge their own sin from the beginning (no one came to Christ as Savior unless they see their sin and their need for a savior). And the disciples of Jesus will need to live a life of constant repentance. Or to use the language of Jesus, his disciples will need to be primarily concerned with the logs and specks in their own eyes. And only then will they be able to see and think correctly about the sins of others. 

It is not difficult to understand how this works. In the Christian life, we will have to deal with sin – our own sin and the sin of others. We are called to help one another with sin. We are to encourage and exhort one another to turn from sin. Sometimes we must confront sin in others. In some instances, when sin is not turned from, judgments must be made by the church with the elders of the church in the lead. Now imagine how different that process would be in a church filled with self-righteous, judgemental, hypocrites in comparison to a church filled with men and women who are aware of their own sin, are humble and repentant, and are filled with kindness, compassion, and love because they have experienced the kindness, compassion, and love of God. The church filled with (or led by) self-righteous, judgemental, hypocrites will do great damage to others (both will fall into the pit). But the church filled with (and led by) those who are more concerned with the log in their own eye than the speck in their brothers, will be a great help to fellow sinners saved by the grace of God who are walking in the Way.     

Do you wish to avoid the judgmental and condemning attitude that Jesus forbids? Do wish to abundantly forgive and generously give as Christ commands? Do wish to have a clear view of the sin of others so that you might help them on the Way? Then focus first on the log that is in your own eye. Only then will you be able to “see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” 

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A Good Tree Will Bear Good Fruit, A Bad Tree Will Bear Bad Fruit

There is one last section for us to consider today. It is a famous passage. I suppose that it could be considered all by itself. But I see a connection here to the them of judgment. 

In verse 43 we read, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks’” (Luke 6:37–45, ESV).

The general principle being taught here by our Lord is that the words of men and women, and the actions of men and women flow from the heart. If a person’s heart is good and pure it will produce good, pure, and holy words and deeds. But if the heart of a person is evil, it will naturally produce evil words and deeds. This is what Christ means when he speaks of trees and fruit. Trees with good roots and sap will produce good fruit. Trees that are diseased in the root and sap will produce diseased fruit. And if you are uncertain about the kind of tree that you are dealing with as you examine the trunk, the branches, and the leaves, you be sure once you examine the fruit. An apricot and peach tree might have a similar appearance (at least to the novice). But all will know the difference between them once they bear fruit. 

This teaching from our Lord helps us to understand how human behavior works. It is important for is to understand that our words and actions flow from the heart. Therefore, true and lasting change will take place in us only when the mind and heart are changed. The Christian is changed and begins to walk in a holy way because God, by his grace, renews us in the inner man through Christ the Son and by the Spirit. This renewal takes place before we trust in Christ. It is called regeneration or new birth.  And this renewal continues throughout the Christian life. This progressive and ongoing renewal is called sanctification. Real and lasting change takes place only when we are renewed in the inner man, and this renewal is by the grace of God. Christ’s teaching about good and bad trees producing good and bad fruit helps us to see this. 

But what does this teaching have to with judgment? I think what we have here is a warning to not judge the hearts of men, their thoughts or their intentions. God alone can see the heart. He knows what is in the heart of every man. But the heart and mind of man is hidden from our sight. We can only judge by what we see and hear. And here Jesus tells us that the good and the evil will be known by their fruit. 

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Reflections

I’ll move this sermon toward a conclusion by offering a few reflections on the text we have considered. 

The teaching of Jesus to “judge not” is vital to the Christian community. A church will not thrive – it will likely not survive – if it has a judgemental spirit. 

A judgemental spirit will hinder the spread of the gospel.

A judgemental spirit will hinder sanctification. 

A judgemental spirit will stifle love.

A judgemental spirit will not bring glory to our God, who is merciful, gracious, and kind.   

It is no wonder that Jesus presented this teaching to his disciples soon after calling them. The judgemental spirit of the Pharisees was a great threat to them, and so Jesus warned them, “‘Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.’”