Luke 6:37-38 - Don't Be Critical

Today we want to take a moment to recognize the military veterans of our great country who have served us and our nation for the sake of freedom. Thank you for giving up a portion of your life, whether it was by career service or a few years. You were willing to fight and sacrifice your life if called upon, so that we might continue to enjoy the liberty that is so dear to us in America. We also thank your family, your parents, your siblings, your wife and children, and other close family members and friends, who were a part of that sacrifice while you were servicing!   Honestly, we have no idea of the magnitude of the sacrifice of your service, but we are thankful and appreciative of it very much. I trust that we as Americans who have benefited from this sacrificial service will take time today to recognize their service and sacrifice by putting out flags, by going to a parade, or visiting a memorial.   As we have repeated several times, in this message in Luke 6, Jesus is emphasizing the four essentials for true happiness. First, He deals with our attitude toward circumstances (vv. 20-26). We should respond to whatever circumstances that we encounter with faith in God’s love for us and His sovereignty over them and our lives. Next, in the verses before us today Jesus is continuing to address our attitude toward people and give us some practical instructions if we tend to have a judgmental or critical spirit. (vv. 37-38).   Verse 37 is another of the Lord's now-famous sayings, although this one is often quoted out of context: "Judge not, and you shall not be judged” (6:37a). The Lord does not forbid us to use common sense and discernment in our lives down here. We must judge and condemn many teachings and philosophies. The Lord here calls on us to avoid that censorious spirit that attacks the motives of others. The Pharisees were given to that kind of thing. They were forever judging the Lord because He refused to be penned in by their religious rules.   Luke 6:37-38 reminds us that we reap what we sow and in the amount that we sow. If we judge others, we will ourselves be judged. If we forgive, we shall be forgiven, but if we condemn, we shall be condemned (see Matt. 18:21-35). He was not talking about eternal judgment but the way we are treated in this life.   The Apostle Paul addressed this same issue in Romans 2:1-3: “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”   Now this ought to make us stop and think! Basically, what Paul is saying is that the very fact that we have a critical or judgmental spirit is a revelation that we have the very same issue that we are critical of. In other words, we are being a hypocrite. We might say that this sounds like a lot of politicians today, but the truth is that we are just as guilty. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus reminds us that while we are trying to pick out a speck out of someone else’s eye, have a log in our own eye.   Jesus goes on to say that we should deal with our own problem before we try to take straighten out the other person. Wow! This is good reminder that when we are experiencing or nurturing a judgmental or critical spirit we should stop and think, “What is the issue in my own life that I have a blind spot in”. Maybe ask someone who will be honest with you about it and you might be surprised what they might reveal about yourself. Or better yet, simply in prayer ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you.   “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)   God bless!