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Jesus said, - "Do
not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way
you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of
measure, it will be measured back to you. Why do you
look at the splinter that is in your brother’s eye, but
do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how
can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter
out of your eye,’ while there is a log in your own eye?
You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye,
then you can see clearly how to remove the splinter from
your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:1-5
"Test yourselves to see it you
are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not
recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in
you - unless indeed you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians
13:5
Commentary: Before
anyone can help someone else concerning a fault they
must first examine themselves to see if they have a log
in their own eye. This can only be done by putting
yourself to the test of God’s standard of conduct - by
carefully examining yourself to see if you are living up
to your commitment to Christ. Did you notice that Paul
did not command members of the Church to examine "each
one another" but to "examine yourselves." A Christian is
not supposed to be looking for faults among his
brethren. It you do, of course you will find them. I
know this because I am a Pastor and that is part of my
job. But if you place your focus on the faults of others
you will become blind to your own faults and place
yourself in danger of judgment.
The Pastor alone is ordained to examine the flock, -"Know
well the condition of your flocks." (Proverbs 27:23) "Shepherd
the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not
under compulsion" (1 Peter 5:2) "Be on guard for
yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of
God which He purchased with His own Blood." (Acts 20:28) The
members are commanded to esteem others as more important
than themselves, -"Do
nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with
humility of mind regard one another as more important
than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)
To grumble against and complain against your brethren
which the Lord gave His life to save, is not loving them
but showing contempt and hatred toward them. It is the
very opposite of "with
humility of mind regard one another as more important
than yourselves." This
attitude is self-righteous, arrogant and demonic.
Be very careful what you say and what your attitude is
toward one of your brethren. Don’t forget who they are.
Jesus died for them while they were yet sinners. He
loves them. Every saint is a forgiven child of the
Living God and He is a protective Father. If one of them
happens to offend, hurt or even sin against you, Jesus
has commanded what you are to do. "If
your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private;
if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if
he does not listen to you, take one or two more with
you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses
every fact may be confirmed. If he refused to listen to
them, tell it to the Church; and if he refused to listen
even to the Church, let him be to you as a unbeliever."
(Matthew 18:15-17)
A grumbler and complainer will not practice this
teaching from Jesus, because he is motivated by hatred,
not love. He is not interested in repairing, rebuilding
and restoring healthy relationships and fellowship, but
to self-righteously point fingers, tear down and cause
division in the Body of Jesus."A
worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks
with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who
signals with his feet, who points his finger; Who with
perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who
spreads strife (quarrels - contention). Therefore his
calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken
and there will be no healing. There are six things which
the Lord hates, Yes, even seven which are an abomination
to Him: Haughty eyes (pride), a lying tongue, and hands
that shed innocent blood (to hate is to murder) A heart
that devises wicked plans (out of the mouth the heart
speaks) feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness
who utters lies, and one who stirs up trouble and
discord among the brethren." (Proverbs 6:12-19)
Jesus said, -"But I say to
you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be
guilty before the court;" Matthew 5:22 A
person who is motivated by the Holy Spirit will never be
angry at the person who has sinned against him as he is
trying to help remove the splinter from his eye. He will
not angrily point to their faults but in humility try to
help them overcome.
Why did Jesus say that if we are angry with our brother
we will stand guilty at the Judgment? It is because all
sin, even sins committed against us by others, are in
reality sins against a holy God. Sin is a violation of
His will and is rebellion against His instruction. Peter
told the Church to bear it when they are treated
unjustly. Jesus prophesied that all His followers would
be treated unjustly and commanded them to rejoice when
it happens, not grumble and complain.
But for the grace of God we all would be sinners. We
have no righteousness of our own making. God has
forgiven us of thousands of sins against Him. He puts up
with our imperfections every day and yet forgives us. If
anyone thinks that he can hold his brother’s faults and
imperfections accountable and not be held accountable to
God, he is foolish and has deceived his own heart.
Every person on earth or in the Church of Jesus
Christ has issues and is an issue himself. How you deal
and handle those issues is what you will judged by.
Adam blamed Eve, Eve shifted the blame to the serpent,
but God blamed them all. When the Gulf oil spill
happened the environmentalists quickly blamed American
drilling policies - they quickly shifted the blame and
pointed at President Obama - Obama first shifted the
blame to President Bush and then later to British
Petroleum - BP then blamed Haliburton Co. - Haliburton
blamed Transocean - Transocean blamed Superman, after
all if he hadn’t been on vacation he could have plugged
the leak in seconds. Superman was not going to shoulder
any blame so he pointed the finger at Batman - Batman
pointed the finger at Spiderman - Spiderman pointed the
blame to the Hulk - but the Hulk refused to accept any
responsibility and got so mad that he blamed everybody
else and ran off. Of course while all the bickering and
finger pointing was going on, no one was working to
really fix the oil leak and the Gulf became contaminated
with oil.
"Now I exhort you, brethren, by
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree
and that there be no divisions among you, but that you
be made complete in the same mind and in the same
judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my
brethren, by Chole’s people, that there are quarrels
among you." 1 Corinthians 1:10-11
"For in the first place, when
you come together as a Church, I hear that divisions
exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there
must also be factions among you, so that those who are
approved may become evident among you." 1 Corinthians
11:18-19
"Therefore, strengthen the
hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and
make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb
which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be
healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no one will see the Lord .
. ." (Notice
that those who do not pursue peace with all men will not
see the Lord - this means that they will not stand
innocent at Judgment)
"See to it that no one comes
short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness
springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (If
a root of bitterness springs up in a person, they will
soon be defiled and will have fallen from the grace of
God. It is grace which makes it possible for our daily
sins to be forgiven. Those who act in bitterness some
short of God’s grace and their sins are no longer
forgiven.) Hebrews
12:14-15
"Let no unwholesome word
proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good
for edification according to the need of the moment, so
that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the
day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and
anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along
with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has
forgiven you." Ephesisan 4:29-32
"Therefore be imitators of God,
as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ
also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering
and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But
immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be
named among you, as is proper among saints; (Notice
that "walking in love" in this passage means not
allowing immorality to be named among us?) and
there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse
jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of
thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no
immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an
idolater, has an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ
and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for
because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the
sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers
with them." Ephesians 5:1-7
"Do all things without
grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove
yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God
above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom you appear as lights in the
world." Philippians 2:14-15
"For it is because of these
things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of
disobedience, an in them you also once walked, when you
were living in them. But now you also, put them all
aside; anger, wrath, malice (accusations), slander, and
abusive speech from your mouth." Colossians 3:6-8
"Now the people became like
those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the
Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled,
and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed
some of the outskirts of the camp." Numbers 11:1
When we focus our attention on the faults of others
we become blind to our own.
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