§ 6. The Sermon on the Mount (According to Matthew)

General

The prohibition on judging focuses on loving our neighbors as ourselves: we should make no judgment we ourselves don't want to face.

The word here translated "judge" (κρίνω) is a basic Greek word that at its root is about making distinctions.

It takes many forms in other New Testament contexts:

• "put on trial" (Acts 26:6)
• "condemn" (John 3:17–18) or "exonerate" (Acts 3:13)
• "decide" (Acts 20:16) or "determine" (1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 2:1)

Proverbial Presentation

These verses follow the classic Hebrew poetry pattern and make good sense presented in verse:

Judge not,
that you be not judged.
For with the judgment you pronounce
you will be judged,
and with the measure you use
it will be measured to you.

Since the second line in a couplet of Hebrew poetry is often an intensifier, the Lord here draws attention to the impact on us when we impact others. We are the clear subject of the second lines, all of which are relatively short and to the point. Again, the prescription is simple: brotherly love.

New Testament Parallels

"if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged"

1 Corinthians 11:29, 31
Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself….
But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.

When taking the Lord's supper, we avoid being judged by judging ourselves. Are we taking it in the right way, for the right reasons?

"judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy"

James 2:12–13
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James reasons that since we know we will be judged, we ought to be showing mercy.

Mercy triumphs over judgment in many ways.

1 Timothy 1:16
I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

"who are you to judge your neighbor?"

James 4:11–12
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Judgment isn't ours to pronounce; God is the Judge.

Peter also mentions some who speak evil against Christians in 1 Peter 2:12 and 3:16. The wording of 1 Peter 3:16 especially parallels the structure of Matthew 7:1–2.

1 Peter 3:16
…having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Judge not

Let us not forget that "judge not" isn't the final word on the subject of judging. Jesus also called on us to make judgments. Matthew 7 follows the outline of loving our neighbors as ourselves: make no judgment we ourselves don't want to face. Even here, we see clearly in verse 5 that Jesus intends for us "to take the speck out of our brother's eye".

"Why do you not judge?"

Luke 12:57–58
"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way…."

Jesus wants us to take things on, settling as many matters as possible as soon as we can. We take responsibility to use sound judgment to handle things here. By taking this approach, we benefit ourselves.

"Judge with right judgment."

John 7:21–25
Jesus answered them, "I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?"

Here Jesus draws a distinction between judging "by appearances" and judging with "right judgment" (literally, "just" or "righteous" judgment). The word here translated "appearances" is literally "face", which is idiomatic in Greek for a person. (On this idiom, compare Galatians 2:6, "God shows no partiality"; Jude 16, "showing favoritism to gain advantage".)

In other words, it is wrong to decide innocence or guilt based on who is being tried rather than what they have done! The 25th verse demonstrates Jesus knows them well: His accusers immediately attack the One who is speaking, not what He is saying.

Vocabulary Considerations

speck…log

The words "speck" and "log" only appear here in the New Testament. The lexicon entries for these words are useful.

The "speck" (κάρφος) is typically a dry stick, like cinnamon, or the kind of material birds use to make nests: twigs, chips, straw.

The "log" (δοκός), on the other hand, is a bearing beam, especially in the roof or floor of a house.

So we might think of these as the wood chip and the 2"x4"!

do not notice

The word "notice" (κατανοέω) literally means taking something into mind. The lexicon says it means "to observe well", "to look at", and "to be in your right mind".

There is some word play here. On the one hand, a 2"x4" in the eye socket could very well come into your mind—or brain! On the other hand, when we try to operate on others while we ourselves need much more help, we are definitely not thinking right! Either way, the point is clear: there is real danger and seriously flawed thinking in hypocritical judgment.

see…see clearly

Jesus wants us to see better than to be fooled by hypocrisy. In verse 3 we "see" (βλέπω) the wood chip in our brother's eye, but in verse 5, Jesus uses a different form of the word "see" that greatly strengthens it. The first lexicon definition for the word in verse 5 (διαβλέπω) is "stare with eyes wide open", which is a stark contrast from the original condition in which there was a 2"x4" in the eye socket.

New Testament Parallels

The teaching of Paul in Romans 2 mostly closely parallels the concept here.

Romans 2:1–5

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man--you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself--that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

"you, the judge, practice the very same things"

A judge who becomes a law-breaker should step down or at least recuse himself from presiding over cases trying what he himself is guilty of. You'd like to think people would not vote for a judge who is a known law-breaker, but they often do!

"Do you suppose, O man…, that you will escape the judgment of God?"

Just as James had said there is only one Lawgiver and Judge (James 4:12), Paul points out that we mere men ought to have more concern about the judgment of the God of heaven.

"God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance"

The prohibition on judging is not absolute, and it does not absolve us of wrongdoing. As we saw in 1 Timothy 1:16, the purpose of showing mercy is to produce repentance.

General

Mark expands upon Matthew's "the measure you use will be measured to you" with an intensifying statement: "and still more will be added to you." This statement neatly formulates the teaching: whatever standard we use to judge others will be used to judge us, only more strictly. In other words, you get not just what you measure but what you measure and then some!

This rule can be a blessing or a curse, of course. More mercy will be afforded to the one who has mercy in his heart. And only more cruelty awaits the one who holds to cruelty.

General

Luke creates an envelope out of the Matthew reading, placing "Judge not" at the outset and closing with "take the log out of your own eye." Inside this envelope, Luke records three additional teachings.

Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over

The imagery of this verse is that of scooping flour in a measuring cup: you get the most consistent amount by using the same cup, pressing it down and shaking it, then topping it off. Consistent, equal measurement is the main idea.

Proverbs 17:5

Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;
he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

The Law addresses measurements in everyday transactions on more than one occasion, including several proverbs.

Leviticus 19:35–37

You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the LORD.

Proverbs 11:1

A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
but a just weight is his delight.

Proverbs 16:11

A just balance and scales are the LORD's;
all the weights in the bag are his work.

Proverbs 17:8

A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.

Proverbs 20:10

Unequal weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

We call out one specific aspect of the Law on measurements below: A double standard is no standard.

Deuteronomy 25:13–16

You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the LORD your God.

Micah 6:10–12

Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales
and with a bag of deceitful weights?
Your rich men are full of violence;
your inhabitants speak lies,
and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Can a blind man lead a blind man?

Jesus uses the same figure of speech in Matthew, where He explains to the disciples the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 15:11–20

"…What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person…. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone."

However, this is no idle illustration. Jesus intends for us to be able to lead others to Him. He first provided the Spirit for the apostles, and now calls on all of us to teach our neighbors. It would be hypocritical to be led to the Gospel and then lead no one else to it.

John 16:13

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth….

Acts 8:30–31

So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

a disciple is not above his teacher

The Lord seems to have used this illustration frequently, as it occurs a few times in different contexts in the Gospels. His point here in Luke is we can still make sound judgments even though none of us is the final Judge of all things. Too often people want to require a virtuous perfection from anyone who would make a judgment, but the Lord points out such a requirement only serves to prevent judgments from being made at all. As Matthew 10:25 says, "It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher."

Indeed, since He commands justice, it would be hypocritical for us not to judge. When people say they do not want to be judged, they are only half right. What they really mean is they want to be judged innocent, not condemned! Refraining from making a judgment is itself a judgment: either it is approval, or it deems the matter unimportant.

fully trained

The Greek term here translated "fully trained" (καταρτίζω) appears some 13 times in the New Testament, but most relevant to Luke is its use in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:10

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

In this verse Paul calls us to be fully trained (here rendered "be united") in the same mind and judgment. The call is a serious one, made "by the name of our Lord." The concept of unity through sound judgment runs throughout this verse:

• all of you agree,
• no divisions among you,
• the same mind,
• the same judgment.

What can it mean other than a failure to achieve unity arises from hypocritical judgment? Those who claim, for example, that we cannot understand the Bible alike are being hypocritical: they pass judgment on those who make judgments!