Don't Judge Facts for 9-13 Year Olds

Categories: Sermon on the Mount

• After teaching his disciples about their duty towards God, Jesus now turns his attention to the way they should treat others.
• He begins by saying: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.”
• This is not the first time he has said this. His fifth beatitude is about mercy—not judgment.
• He mentions forgiving others in the Lord’s Prayer.
• He’s already talked about anger, revenge, and hate in the commands.
• This time he explicitly says, “Do not judge.”
• “Do not judge,” is an imperative. It really means “do not pass judgment upon.”
• Jesus is not saying, “Don’t think, or don’t discern.”
• In this case, “don’t judge” refers to the judgment of condemnation.
• But judge also has other connotations, or meanings.
• The Old Testament has a whole book devoted to “Judges.”
• These were real people who played a pivotal role in the life of the Israelites.
• Sometimes they were heroes, warriors, or even conquerors.
• They fought for God.
• Jesus is basically saying that was then; this is now.
• The disciples are not to go out warring for God in any heroic sense.
• They are disciples, not conquerors.
• Their job is not to uproot evil, but to overcome evil with good.
• The message is clear: Do not judge, lest you be judged.
• “Be judged” is in the passive again. God will be doing this judging.
• Jesus adds, “For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.”
• This is another argument for mercy and forgiveness.
• Disciples are told that the Father is going to be using the same measures they use.
• “Measures” could refer to standards in the marketplace. It could be a scale, a measuring stick, or a vessel.
• It was a fact of life in antiquity that everybody had two sets of measures. One was for buying; the other was for selling.
• Dishonest people always used the measuring device that would work to their advantage.
• Jesus is cautioning against such behavior.
• Surely, one can work for justice, but this sermon makes it clear that it is not up to us to mete it out, to make others be just, unless of course we are a judge.
• Now there may be some people who are wonderful disciples who are also judges. Then it is their job to make decisions.
• But even those people cannot take the place of God.
• Jesus continues, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eyes, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”
• Having a log in one’s eye is meant to be really funny.
• With this metaphor, Jesus is saying that somehow we can see the tiniest flaw in someone else, while ignoring much bigger flaws within ourselves.
• The religious leaders were well-known for publicly condemning certain behaviors while ignoring their own faults.
• Jesus is telling his disciples not to be like them.
• He goes on: “Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye?”
• The idea of having a log coming out from one’s eye suggests that you can’t get anywhere near enough to help with a speck in a neighbor’s eye.
• “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
• “Hypocrite” again refers to the one who is playing a part, an actor expecting applause for his acting.
• Yet, Jesus isn’t telling us to walk away from the neighbor who has a speck in his eye.
• The fact is that it hurts when someone has something in his/her eye.
• Disciples are not to be indifferent, but they are to be aware of how they offer help.
• They have to get rid of the log first.
• Jesus says, “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.”
• Scholars struggle to fully explain the words, but the meaning is pretty clear.
• Pearls and holiness are Christian talents/teachings.
• They symbolize something very, very precious.
• Pigs and dogs refer to Israel’s enemies.
• For those people back then, dogs weren’t the cute little puppies that you see today.
• In antiquity, they were wild animals, scavenging for food wherever they could find it.
• Such activity rendered them always unclean.
• They were despised in that society.
• Pigs, of course, have always been seen as unclean, abominable.
• This is a great example showing how “don’t judge” does not mean “don’t think.”
• Rather, the disciples are to notice whether or not others are interested in and receptive to their message.
• Some disciples were probably all ready, willing, and eager to go out and save the world.
• But not everybody is so ready, willing, and eager to be saved.
• In Matt. 10:14, Jesus will say, “If they don’t receive you, shake off the dust and go on.”
• They are not to push or force anyone to believe what they believe.
• You don’t win people over to your side by yelling at them or putting them down.
• On the other hand, many people have been won over by seeing others live a good life.