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Sermon Notes of Rev Dr Ivor J.W.Oakley (3-9-2000
Guisborough Evangelical Church)
Additional Reading Matthew 18:15-20
Matthew 7 does not follow on from the last chapter. It contains a number of self-contained paragraphs. We feel all sorts of emotions as we read this. Feel condemned and puzzled. How does this apply? What does it mean? No more law courts? Never sit on jury? Never tell someone they are wrong? Never write honest and truthful testimonial reference? Close eyes to everything? Whitewash everybody? We will ask three questions as we look at this passage. What does this passage not mean? What is its real meaning? What practical steps are to be taken?
Firstly lets be clear there is no reference to law
courts, magistrates, jury service, serving in police. There is a place for
upholding law and order and justice, and we find it throughout the Word of God.
A judge has to assess evidence and deliver justice. This is a means whereby God
restrains evil in the world.
It does not exclude use of church discipline (which
together with the preaching of the Word and the administering of the sacrament
is the mark of the true church according to our Protestant forefathers [writing
unclear].) There is clear teaching about discipline of wayward church members in
the teaching of our Lord and in New Testament epistles. Too readily when faced
with problems in the life of the church, people resort to “We must not
judge”, “Let sleeping dogs lie” – to avoid difficulty and challenge
which needs to be dealt with. We want to avoid reality, and we don’t want to
rock the boat or upset people.
Nor does this passage mean
avoiding doctrinal issues and the need to work against doctrinal errors. The
Lord spoke of false prophets (Matthew 7:15). Paul spoke of false teachers and
heresies that needed to be laid bare (1 Cor
15, 2 Thess 3:6). John, the apostle of love, said that we are not to
believe every spirit, but test the spirits. People holding ecclesiastical errors
are not to be received into house or welcomed (2 John 10). The strongest
statement of all is that anyone preaching another gospel should be eternally
condemned (Galatians 1:8). Rarely heard in these ecumenical days, would be
regarded as unloving and judgmental today. Even evangelicals are quick to say we
must not judge.
This teaching does not forbid us
from using our critical faculties to assess people’s characters. Do not
give dogs what is sacred, do not throw your pearls to pigs (Matthew 7:6).
Assess people’s characters and if they defiantly reject the message, fly into
temper and blaspheme, do not persist beyond certain point (Matthew 10:14, Acts
13:44ff). Go on to other people instead (Acts 18:6). Do not waste time on those
who ridicule, despise and spit on the message. (N.B. A common question in Ethics
papers – Can you reconcile Matthew 7:1 with Matthew 7:6?)
We are not to turn a blind eye
to faults. Not to refuse to discern true situation. Not be gullible and swallow
pathetically thin excuses. Not refuse ever to criticise. Spurgeon once said
“God’s people are not to be judges, nor are they to be simpletons”. Not to
close eyes and pretend all is well. I once received a phone message thanking me
for my honest opinion of students applying to a missionary society. They said
“Normally references lead us to expect the archangel Gabriel is applying to
join our ranks”.
So “judge not” does not exclude using our critical faculties, facing reality. Need to study two books: The Word of God, and human nature. When we whitewash and close eyes to wrongdoing, we can mislead about the truth, and do enormous damage to the Word of God. Even though our cowardice makes us prefer to keep silent, love requires us to speak up, God’s honour requires us to protest. When we read through the Sermon on the Mount we cannot fail to use critical faculties if we are to avoid the conduct of some, and live the way God wants.
Whilst we are right to use our critical faculties, we
receive a warning against being hyper critical, having a spirit of
censoriousness, carping faultfinding, and destructive looking for faults and
failures. We must be careful not to come to hasty judgements without bothering
to find out all facts. Nor must we make issues over unimportant matters, or take
pleasure in exposing people’s failings. How sad it is when people feel pleased
to hear of times when others fall, and put the worst interpretation on every
move and every word. How sad when issue is made over little things, and when
people rub hands with glee at being able to point out someone’s mistake. You
maybe can think of people who, at the mention of a person’s name, at once
speak of something wrong with him. Mention a certain church, and at once be
informed they have nothing but one trouble after another. Mention a society, and
they tell you at once how they treated one of their workers 10 years ago. The
moment they open their mouth, someone will get it, some scheme will have cold
water poured over it, and some action will be sneered at.
Spurgeon humorously, but
alarmingly accurately, described how, “at tea meetings, Dorcas meetings and
other gatherings, they practise vivisection on the characters of their
neighbours, and of course they are eager to try their knives upon the minister,
the minister’s wife, the minister’s children, the minister’s wife’s
bonnet, the dress of the minister’s daughter, and how many new ribbons she has
worn for the last six months and so on ad infinitum. There are also certain
persons who are never so happy as when they are grieved to the heart to have to
tell the minister that Mr A is a snake in the grass, that he is quite mistaken
in thinking well of Messrs B & C, and that they have heard quite
promiscuously that Mr D and his wife are badly matched. Then follows a long
string about Mrs E who says that she and Mrs F overheard Mrs G say to Mrs H that
Mrs J should say that Mr K and Miss L were going to move from the chapel and
hear Mr M, and all because of what old N said to young O about that Miss P.
Assure them that you are obliged to have the facts definitely before you, that
your memory is not very tenacious, that you have many things to think of, that
you are always afraid of making any mistake in such matters, and that if they
would be good enough to write down what they have to say, the case would be more
fully before you and you could give more time to its consideration. Mrs Grundy
will not do that; she has a great objection to making clear and definite
statements; she prefers talking at random”.
Always pleased to hear of
failures. Ever ready to pass on tit bit of gossip. Wrong motives are always
imputed. Ears are closed to explanation and reason. Last word in everything
because they know. In effect, playing God. Taking his place. Never concern to
help or give benefit of doubt in uncertain cases. Attitude of mind which tells
us more about the critic than the criticised. Its source – one of many
manifested of flesh (of self). One of ways ugly self expresses itself. Varies
from person to person. Springs from jealousy and envy. Or from sense of
superiority. And as we put others down, we rise up in our own and, hopefully,
other people’s estimation. Sometimes rivalry is at the bottom. Someone has
crossed our path and must be put down as much as possible to get our own back.
Sense of insecurity, others are a threat. They are more respected, loved and admired than we are. What a commentary on works of flesh, or the sinful nature. Not only adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, sorcery, drunkenness and murder, but also hatred, contentions, jealousies, wrath, selfish ambition, dissensions and envy (Galatians 5:19-21).
There are practical steps to be taken when tempted to
assert self in this destructive, superior, wanton, selfish, hypocritical and
censorious way. Have to face certain things about the situation. Maybe not
qualified to be censorious and destructive because not always know all the facts
about person and his circumstances. Pre 1939 sermon illustration: A man was once
criticised because sometimes, depending on which pavement he was walking on and
the direction he was going, he let his wife walk on the outside of the pavement.
He was described as “ill-mannered”, “boorish”, “Not a gentleman”,
“uncouth”. But critics would not have said that if they had known he was
deaf in one ear. If his wife wanted to talk to him, she had to be on the
outside.
People can be regarded as
standoffish, cold, aloof, of thinking they are better than others, of looking
down on people because they have smaller salary and no car, when in fact their
aloofness is because they are really shy and timid. When break the ice and know
them well, they are actually far from cold and can be very good friends. How
easily we can make grave misjudgements. All in turn have suffered from
misjudgements by others. If we knew all facts and circumstances and motives, we
would have more sympathy and understanding. More ready to give benefit of the
doubt.
Then need to be aware of own
failings and need to face and deal with them first. In the same way as you
judge others, you will be judged (Matthew 7:2). The yardstick we apply to
others will be the yardstick applied to us. Is your own record clean? Do we do
and say the very things we accuse others of? Every time we point the finger at
another, we have three pointing at ourselves. Philip Brooks (who wrote “O
Little Town of Bethlehem”) said “Whenever you see fault in another man or
another church, look for it in yourself and in your own church”. Classic Old
Testament example – King David whose anger blazed against rich man taking poor
man’s lamb, but conveniently forgot he himself had taken another man’s wife.
From my time in Northern Ireland, I recall the Orangeman putting brick through
the window of Roman Catholic shop with its images, holy pictures and candles,
with the comment that he couldn’t stand this bigotry! How ridiculous we make
ourselves in the eyes of others in condemning the very things we do ourselves.
We may be blind to it, but others are not.
Then need to take steps about ourselves. First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:5). Our serious fault to be dealt with before someone else’s peccadilloes. How often we exaggerate other’s faults and minimize our own. Jaundiced view of others and rosy view of selves. How hard it is to be objective and impartial. But then it is often forgotten that we are then to take action about the speck in our brother’s eye. Still have responsibility to him. Jesus later taught that if brother sins against us, out first duty is to speak to him about this. Right to reprove and correct brother – as long as first deal with own failures. When dealt with own sin, we shall see clearly to help him with his. It would not be brotherly to leave the speck in brother’s eye; instead we should help him to get rid of it. So Jesus is not condemning criticism if it is justified. But we have got to begin with ourselves first of all. As loving brother, we are to rescue and restore. But be as generous to others as to ourselves.
This whole passage reminds us how difficult the
Christian life is. Delicate balance throughout. Not be gullible or fooled or
blind. Use critical faculties and weigh up situations and people. But not to be
hypercritical, censorious and carping and constantly faultfinding. Never to
assume position of God himself – who is all wise, all knowing and all
righteous.
When we walk by faith we are
always walking on a knife-edge. How important to take whole of Scripture as our
guide in the difficult and controversial matters. Most problems and heresies in
the church are the result of failure to see Scripture as a whole. So we become
lopsided.
We have profound and searching teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. It finds us out, and brings us into the light of God. Condemns us for carelessness and cowardice, lack of zeal for God and his cause and his church when we misuse and pervert this teaching. Yet on the other hand it shows up our crooked heart, malicious tongues, our jealousy and envy and vindictiveness. A time to be silent and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Lead me, O Lord, in you righteousness. Make straight your way before me (Psalm 5:8). Have the frame of mind to tread carefully through this minefield. He guides the humble in what is right, and teaches them his way (Psalm 25:9). The Lord confides in those who fear him (Psalm 25:14).
