We now move to Chapter 7 in Matthew and the eight wisdom sayings of Jesus. The first being the warning not to judge. This can mean to evaluate or to condemn. The context determines which translation should be applied. For this one it would be not ti condemn. The second wisdom saying applies to not throwing our pearls to pigs. It is important to understand who you are talking to and be sure the teaching is not wasted. Jesus is the pearl of great price and we hope to share him with people when they can appreciate who he is.
SHOW NOTES
Matthew 7:1-27 NIV The Sermon on the Mount—Wisdom Sayings of Jesus
D. The Wisdom Sayings of Jesus
Do not Judge others (7:1-5)
Pearls to pigs (7:6)
Effective prayer (7:7-11)
The Golden Rule (7:12)
Be Decisive (7:13-14)
A Tree and its Fruit (7:15-20)
True Disciples (7:21-23)
The Solid Foundation (7:24-27
1. Do not Judge others (7:1-5)
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Judge can mean evaluate or condemn and which meaning is determined by the context. In the above passage it means condemn. Thus, the first sentence becomes, “Do not condemn or you too will be condemned.” What we condemn in others is exactly what we are most guilty of. We condemn others in an attempt to reduce our guilt. Our condemnation demonstrates our desire for dominance. It is the opposite of acceptance and grace. Condemnation demonstrates our lack of forgiveness for other’s shortcomings. It is of value to notice where we condemn others and decipher what is behind our condemnation.
Evaluation is to measure a behaviour, skill or virtue. I do not play the piano, but I can tell the difference between a superb player and a mediocre performance.
A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning as they are eating breakfast, the woman sees her neighbor hanging the washing outside."That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap." Her husband remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the woman would make the same comments. A month later, the woman was surprised to see a sparkling clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.
2. Pearls to pigs (7:6)
6 “Do not give to dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Know who you are talking to. If the student is not ready, the teaching is wasted. When the student is ready the teacher is successful. There was much that Jesus wished to teach his disciples that they could not grasp.
Mark 9:32 ESV But they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask him
.Luke 18:34 ESV But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
John 12:16 ESV His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
John 14:26 ESV But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 16:12-13 ESV “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
We grasp and remember what we are interested in. If we are keeping pigs we will notice sources of slop for the pigs. If we are keeping a new baby we know about baby formula and baby food. If we are excited about Jesus we notice new aspects of his character when they are revealed.
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