“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5).
There are many things that can be said about these verses, but I want to point out one area that we sometimes overlook. These verses, in a roundabout way, speak to the reality of God’s grace sinners receive when they come to Christ. We are not to stand in judgment of others lest we forget that we too are sinners who are guilty of sin. To not judge others does not mean we suspend our powers of spiritual discernment or ignore sin, but it does mean we recognize we are no better than others. Only a hypocrite can pass judgment on another without realizing how much he/she has received by way of God’s grace.
Grace is the overwhelming force of love, forgiveness, and acceptance that floods our life with God’s presence, peace, and joy. We sometimes forget that only Christ was without sin. We cannot make such a boast. It is through Christ that the floodgates of grace are opened to us. What if God did not give grace to sinners, and instead gave sinners exactly what they have earned through their sin? Banish the thought! But, we don’t have to look far. Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone in scripture, and He took no delight in knowing people were going there. Indeed, He said, “The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Though judgment is real, God seeks to save sinners from eternal judgment. This is the point of the gospel, and it is why it is called “Good News.” It is good news because through Christ, and because of the cross of Christ, God saves sinners from the eternal doom of hell.
Yet, there are people (whom Jesus is speaking to in this text) who do not want to give away God’s grace through the gospel. Instead, they seek to stand over and above sinners as though they were, themselves, without sin. The absurdity is self-evident.
God’s people are called to make known God’s grace through the gospel. That is why Paul confidently proclaimed that, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). Those who are recipients of God’s grace know how good it is to stand under the shower of God’s love and feel the warmth of His forgiveness wash over their needy souls. As recipients of God’s grace, we are called to flood each other’s lives with the same love and forgiveness we have received. But, tragically we often don’t give God’s grace away as freely as we have received it. We want it for ourselves but find it hard to freely give it away. So, Jesus was warning that God’s people should not hoard God’s grace.
Jesus was teaching that those who have received the matchless grace of God should not be quick to pass judgment on others (as in sentencing them). To do so is to negligently overlook the sin and failures of their own lives before God. How can needy beggars pass judgment on other beggars? Or, how does a beggar become greedy thinking his crumb is a symbol of his great wealth? No, freely we have received (of God’s bountiful grace) and freely we are to give away (Matthew 10:8). When one beggar receives bread, he would do well to tell others how to get that same bread – and he would do well to generously share the bread he has freely received with others.
God’s grace cannot be exhausted. God’s people should rejoice in that truth and seek to give as much away as possible.
