Smoodock's Blog

In a world where action speaks loudest, Jesus shows us that he is more interested in motives. He told his disciples that his manner of life could and probably would be misunderstood (Matthew 5:17). It’s not that Jesus was preaching something new, because the Gospel was preached under the Old Covenant (Galatians 3:8; Hebrews 4:2), but the problem was that it wasn’t generally received with faith. So, God came to mankind in human flesh (John 1:1, 14; Malachi 3:1) in order to provide us with an example to follow or imitate (John 13:15; cp. Genesis 1:27).

When worldviews clash, the natural inclination is to defend what one believes to be so, even to the point of violently opposing the different worldview, which one holds in contempt. Jesus was presenting his disciples with a new worldview, not new in the sense that it was never practiced, because Abraham, Joseph and David did practice Jesus’ worldview (the Gospel) under the Old Covenant. Yet, the Gospel, the worldview of the Kingdom of Heaven was now being presented as the general rule for all people to understand.

Jesus’ disciples would preach the Gospel and be opposed by folks, holding a different worldview. How should they act? Should they behave in the same manner that folks would treat them? Jesus’ answer was they shouldn’t resist evil (Matthew 5:39). Offenses would come, but we are to make allowances for others’ offenses for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven (God).

Therefore, Jesus began the conclusion of his discourse by telling his disciples to refrain from judging others, and if we take his advice, we won’t be judged. Generally speaking, we’ll reap whatever we sow (Galatians 6:7). Of course, this is speaking of the general rule that the Lord placed in life to check evil and reward good behavior. Nevertheless, good men will be persecuted, judged by men, simply because good men will be obedient to the Lord, regardless of what men try to make them do. As a general rule, evil men don’t trust what they are unable to control. However, we are not to practice such behavior against folks who don’t receive the Gospel and believe as we do. Unbelievers are not necessarily a threat to Jesus’ disciples, so we should not cause them grief and turn them away from the Gospel by judging their behavior. Let other men be as they are, while we busy ourselves obeying the Lord.

It is unnatural to behave according to one worldview and not feel obligated to defend oneself against an opposing worldview. However, Jesus tells us to let others believe and behave in a manner they choose, even when they oppose the Gospel. In other words, we shouldn’t interfere in the lives of others, because there is a natural law in effect that will bring down upon us the same kind of judgment, we mete out to others. It is especially important to be obedient to Jesus, when men openly and deliberately oppose us. Instead of retaliating in kind, we are to allow their insults to play out. To seek the Kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:33) has reconciliation, as its motive, not retaliation. If we are more concerned for our personal rights than seeking the Kingdom of God, men will never change to receive the Gospel.[1]

Men are apt to judge others for the slightest offense, while ignoring more obvious and destructive flaws in their own character. So, Jesus reminds his disciples of their proclivity to judge others, by saying it would be better for them to work on cleansing their own behavior, before trying to help someone else correct theirs (Matthew 7:3). Consider for a moment how close one needs to get to a person in order to remove a speck from his eye. It isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that the “speck” one sees in the eye of his brother is, in fact, a reflection of the beam in one’s own eye. Therefore, we need to practice self-examination, and if we do, we won’t be so apt to act the hypocrite and judge our brethren (Matthew 7:5).

The most important thing concerning judging others is that, in order to judge one another, we need to offer a reason why their worldview is wrong. In doing so, we would have to cast the good teaching of Jesus before folks who are unable to receive such things, because their hearts aren’t toward the Lord. Jesus pictures such folks as dogs and swine. Both gobble down their spiritual food (don’t chew the cud), implying they don’t really consider or think on the teaching of the Gospel. Even moralists (the swine with the parted hoof) who walk a separate life from evil men will not necessarily think on the meaning of the Gospel. Therefore, if we tempt them by causing them grief over how they behave (their worldview), they will not only hold the Gospel in contempt, trampling it under their feet, but they would, more often than not, turn on Jesus’ disciple and do him harm (Matthew 7:6).

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[1] For example, clearly Paul’s rights were violated by Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth (Acts 18:17). He led a group of Jews to accuse Paul before the Roman governor, saying he persuaded men to worship God contrary to Roman law (Acts 18:13). Gallio ruled against Sosthenes, but later, it seems that he became a believer (Colossians 1:23). Paul took the high road and didn’t resist evil, and such behavior won his enemy over to the Gospel.