“Do not judge” – that has to be modern America’s favorite Bible verse. But while we naturally resist other people sitting in judgment on us, it is possible to take this idea too far, to imagine that anything we might want to have or to do is in fact good. But if that were true, the last three verses of the passage wouldn’t make sense. After all, if each one of us gets to define goodness according to our individual desires and tastes, how can Jesus speak of good hearts producing good words and actions, and evil hearts bringing forth the opposite?
No, instead of this passage embracing the idea that we all get to make up for ourselves what is right and wrong, Jesus is here explaining how we should treat others who have in fact done wrong. In verse 42, for example, Jesus points out that everyone has sin in our lives that prevent us from seeing clearly, that keep us from a right understanding of ourselves and the world around us. But He says we need to acknowledge and deal with our own sin problems before assuming that we can be of any help to others. After all, as verse 39 says, how can the blind guide the blind? In other words, sin is real, but instead of condemning other sinners, sitting in judgment on them, we need to deal with our own sin first.
And if we have the humility which comes from admitting that we have big problems of our own, we will tend not only to be patient with other sinners. Our understanding of our common condition should also move us to try to help them however we can. And verse 38 promises that if we have this sort of humble love in our hearts for other sinners, we can be assured that God will meet our needs just as abundantly.
And how can we know this is true? Verse 40 says that as we adopt this kind of humble, loving, patient attitude, we will be like our Teacher, the Lord Jesus Himself. After all, Jesus really did have the right to condemn all of us, sitting in judgment on our rebellion against Him. But instead He humbled Himself before us, letting Himself be killed so that we could have the forgiveness that we need.
So, does it really make sense for Christians to be judgmental jerks, pretending to be holy and being angry with others whose sins happen to be less socially acceptable than our own? Let’s follow Jesus instead, in humility, and patience and love.
Luke 6:37-45 (NASB)
37 “And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.
38 “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
39 And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40 “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
41 “And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42 “Or 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.
43 “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.
44 “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.
45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
