Overview:
If worrying is one of our favorite sins, then judging must be one of our favorite pastimes. While worry often reflects a lack of trust in God, judging often reflects a lack of love and acceptance of others. In his last sermon on Matthew 6:25–34, Pastor Chuck Swindoll walked us through Jesus’ teaching to help us fight anxiety. Now, preaching on Matthew 7:1–5, he directs our attention to Jesus’ teaching on judging to help us rid ourselves of a biting, critical spirit so we can truly restore others in a spirit of love and acceptance.
Message Summary:
In this message on Matthew 7:1–5, Chuck Swindoll confronts a favorite pastime of religious people: the “Let’s Label” game, better known as judging [7–8]. Following His command to stop worrying, Jesus issues a direct imperative to “stop judging,” warning that a critical, condemning spirit invites God’s judgment in return. Swindoll explains that judging is dangerous because humans never know all the facts, possess inherent prejudices, and are unqualified to take God’s seat as the ultimate Judge.
Swindoll carefully distinguishes between forbidden judgmentalism and necessary discernment. While Jesus forbids a censorious, condemning attitude, He immediately commands believers to spot “dogs” and “swine” (false teachers and mockers) in verse 6. Therefore, the command is not to suspend critical thinking, but to suspend the arrogance of playing God [12–14].
Using Jesus’ humorous hyperbole of a man with a log in his eye trying to remove a speck from his brother’s, Swindoll outlines the proper method for correction. We must first undergo painful self-examination to remove our own major faults. Only then can we see clearly enough to perform the delicate “eye surgery” of restoring a brother or sister. The message concludes with a moving personal story where Swindoll misjudged a sleeping man in the congregation, only to learn later that the man was terminally ill and fighting medication to hear him preach—a powerful reminder that we are rarely qualified to judge motives [17–18, 29–31].
Message Key Facts:
- The “Let’s Label” Game: Swindoll satirizes how Christians often play a game where they identify someone different, examine external evidence, form a negative opinion, and “stick a label” on them. Jesus calls this hypocrisy [7–8].
- Judging vs. Discernment: Swindoll clarifies that Jesus is not saying “do not be discerning.” He notes that teaching children not to get into a stranger’s car is discernment, not judgment. Judging is passing a final verdict on a person; discernment is inspecting character and truth (e.g., identifying false prophets) [12–13].
- Reciprocity Principle: Drawing from Luke 6, Swindoll reminds listeners that “what goes around comes around.” If you are a suspicious, critical person, others will be suspicious and critical of you [15–16].
- The “Log” Hyperbole: Jesus uses humor to make a point. The “log” (or beam) refers to a massive rafter used in roof construction, sometimes 40 feet long. The image of a person with a roof beam in their eye offering to pick a tiny speck of dust out of someone else’s is meant to be ludicrous [17–18].
- Eye Surgery requires Gentleness: Swindoll uses his own cataract surgery as an illustration. The surgeon was qualified, calm, and gentle. Similarly, Galatians 6:1 teaches that restoring a sinning brother requires a “spirit of gentleness,” not a sledgehammer of criticism [20–23].
- The Order of Operations: Jesus gives a specific sequence for confrontation: First, take the log out of your own eye (self-examination). Then, you will see clearly to help your brother (restoration). The goal is always recovery, not condemnation [24–25].
- The Sleeping Man: Swindoll shares a personal confession of judging a man who slept through his sermons at a conference. He labeled the man as unspiritual and a bad husband, only to find out the man had terminal cancer and it was his dying wish to attend the conference despite his medication making him drowsy. Swindoll uses this to prove we never have all the facts [29–31].
Message References:
- Matthew 7:1–5: The primary text commanding believers not to judge and using the illustration of the log and the speck.
- Matthew 7:6: “Do not give what is holy to dogs,” referenced to prove that discernment is still necessary.
- Luke 6:36–38: A parallel passage emphasizing mercy and the principle that “by your standard of measure it will be measured to you”.
- Galatians 6:1–4: Paul’s instruction on how to restore a believer caught in a trespass (“you who are spiritual… in a spirit of gentleness”) [22–23].
- 1 John 4:1: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,” used to support the need for discernment.
- Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You”.
