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"Judge not that you be not judged." In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ is directing us on how to conduct ourselves in reference to the "faults of others". "Judge not," Jesus says. Why? Certainly they deserve to be judged many times. Why shouldn't we do this? In the first place, we are not wise enough. Judging the hearts of others or their intentions, is the work of the Lord. We lack the mercy and statue to do this. We might come to despise our brother or judge him unmercifully, might even do it with a spirit of revenge. We even need great care in judging ourselves.
Certainly there is something we can do. Yes, we can council, help with suggestions and even reason with them, but in all things, be tolerant, for we will be judged in the same measure as we judge. Mercy and forgiveness is the "bridge" over which we all must walk. Only by our discretion will it remain open to us for our use when we need it. As we learned from our study of the Lord's Prayer, we shall be forgiven as we forgive others.
It might be well at this time to look at this thing of disciplining. This scripture does not restrict us from disciplining those who stand judged by God's Word as long as we do so in love and kindness being an instrument of the Lord perhaps in the saving of his soul.(I Cor. 5:15) Obviously not everyone is qualified for this job. To reprove your brother of some small fault while you are guilty of a large one, is hypocrisy. Are there degrees of sin? Yes and no. No there isn't as far as Salvation goes, but yes there is in relation to ones ability to witness. We must realize that no one is perfect, yet if we try, by the Grace of God, to achieve perfection, this will be recognized by others as credentials for counseling. The intent of your counseling is the deciding factor of your guilt. or innocence. As a rule, those who are most qualified are least prone to do so.
Notice what Jesus suggests that we do first before we judge others. "First, take the log from your own eye." First, put your own house in order. A "splinter" in some ones eye should not be removed by some one who has a "log" in their eye. That which is used by God must be pure. The candle snuffers used in the Temple to put out candles had to be pure gold.
The 6th. and last verse in this study, seems remote from what has just preceded it and not really related to that which follows. Perhaps what the Lord is telling us us here in this verse is that while not everyone is fit to council, so it is that not everyone is fit to be counseled. "Give not that which is Holy unto the Dogs." Who might not be considered fit for counseling?
We are cautioned not to throw our "pearls" before swine. Now having said that, perhaps we should go back and review verses 1 through 5. to be cautioned as to who we consider to be swine. I think Jesus is telling us here that there were going to be times when, for our own safety, we will have to move on to other pastures, knowing that not everyone will accept Jesus Christ when He is presented to them because of their hardened hearts and may very well react violently.
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