In hilarious book called The Warning Label Book here are some actual warning labels found on objects or products:

• Found on public rest room Continuous Roll Towell dispensers: Maintenance Operator: Failure to follow loading instructions could result in serious injury or death.

• Found on a box of GLAD drawstring cat-box liners: Warning: Not recommended for food storage.

• Found in a television set’s owner’s manual: Do not pour liquids into your television set.

• Found on a butane lighter: Warning: Flame may cause fire.

• Found on a bottle of Brut aftershave lotion: Warning: Flammable until dry. Do not use when smoking or near fire, flame, or heat.
• Found on Weber gas grills: Caution: Surface will be warm when in use.

Well, you get the idea. We try to protect ourselves and others from liability and danger by using warning labels. There are some warnings that are given to us that can protect us from needless spiritual failure. One of those is found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The warning I want us to hear is: Judging can be hazardous to your health-your spiritual health!

As Jesus spoke to His disciples He has called them to a radically different life. That life is to be known from behaviors unlike those who claim to know God but obviously don’t have a real relationship with Him. As He is bringing His comments to a close He warns His disciples and us about the danger of thinking we are the standard by which everyone else will be evaluated. Listen:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Why are these words of Jesus true? That’s the question we want to answer this morning. Before we do we need to understand what Jesus is talking about. What does Jesus mean when He warns us to not judge? What did He not mean? Are we to make no critical decisions about the actions of others?

What did Jesus not mean?

He didn’t mean deny reality—pretend that everything is ok for fear that we will judge someone. The Old Testament prophets certainly didn’t deny the reality of the sins of the nation of Israel.

The New Testament tells us that there are several things we are to judge. For example we are to: judge others’ doctrine on attitudes (I John 4:1-13); discern events to prepare for Christ’s return (Luke 21:29-33); not to prevent the church determining that the actions of one of its members are of such a nature that they must be disciplined (I Cor. 5, Matthew 18). We are not to be ignorant of what is going on around us!

The word He uses was a word that meant "to tear apart." His words are more or less a reference to the attitude of the Pharisee, those in the leadership of institutional organized religion, who lived and breathed criticism and judgment. Their whole system of religion was based on their ability to obey rules and regulations with no regard for the relationship they were to have with God or with other people. They became the standard, the measure by which everyone else was to be evaluated. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath—criticism, ate with sinners – criticism, picked grain on the Sabbath – criticism, forgave sins –criticism and even while He died on the cross they passed by and criticized –

Matthew 27:38-44

Jesus is warning us to avoid the vindictive, critical spirit that points the finger at someone for what they have done or not done. It’s placing a person and their actions under your evaluation to see if they meet your standards. It’s as though you bring them into the courtroom and you are the judge, prosecutor and jury of someone’s life and actions.

How do we know when we do it? When we say, "I would never do that…" "I know I’m no saint, but…." "God will hold you accountable for this…." "I’ve just heard something we need to pray about…." "I’ll never forgive them for what they have done."

All of us at one time or another are guilty of just such statements. Jesus is saying that those who follow Him are not to be known for scrutinizing evaluations toward others but to be known for their merciful understanding. So why is judging so dangerous to me spiritually? I believe our text gives us four clear principles:

Principle One: When I judge as Jesus prohibits it is direct disobedience. (7:1a)

"Do not judge." Some things Jesus said were left to us to determine how to apply them. Others He gave direct, clear, prohibitions against certain actions and attitudes. This is one of them. In fact on the night before He was crucified He told His disciples that their relationship to Him would be judged by whether or not they kept His commandments.

If Jesus gave us no further explanation this is sufficient.

When we choose to be the judge and jury of someone else, tearing them apart with our words, we have directly disobeyed a prohibition of the Son of God.

Jesus’ words give us a motivation or reason not to judge! He promises us that we will be criticized when we criticize and at the same level or degree that we criticize. Jesus uses a concept right out of the market place (v. 2). The "measure" He refers to is that of a person selling grain. It was not uncommon for someone who would be deceitful to use a cup that had been dented to sell grain from their sack. It would appear to be full but was not. The rule was that the cup you sold with was to be the cup you bought with. So if you tried to cheat others, you yourself would be cheated.

Writer Nancy Hoag tells of a woman who was driving home from church with her daughter one Sunday morning. Just half a block from the church they turned a corner only to see a man who had sat behind them in the service. He had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and the mother blurted out, "Look at that! Comes straight out of church and already lighting up." She grunted an audible, self-righteous "Humpf." For a moment the daughter was silent. Then she said softly, "Look at that. Comes straight out of church and already judging."

Of all the reasons we should not be judge and jury of others is because we will be equally tried and convicted by others with the same sin!

So far Jesus’ words would make us so gun shy of making any kind of opinion about the actions of others. Yet these verses are a reminder that we do have an obligation toward others who are living in obvious disobedience. Before we can go to try to help someone else there must be something done. Jesus points us to that in a comical illustration. The "speck" he refers to was a piece of wheat chaff or sawdust. The "plank" was a floor joist of a house. You see, it is insane for us to try to solve the obscure problems of someone else because when we do it only makes our problems more obvious.

Jesus calls us—those who follow Him—hypocrites when we do this! We refuse to see what everyone else knows is obvious. When we are blinded like this there is no more condemning darkness. Listen to these examples and see if they don’t sound like us:

Your Problem: When you get angry it is because you are ill-tempered.

My Situation: It just happens that my nerves are bothering me.

Your Problem: When you don't like someone it is because you are prejudiced.

My Situation: I happen to be a good judge of human nature.

Your Problem: When you compliment someone it is because you use flattery.

My Situation: I only encourage folks.

Your Problem: When you take a long time to do a job it is because you are unbearably slow and pokey.

My Situation: When I take a long time it is because I believe in quality workmanship.

Your Problem: When you spend your paycheck in 24 hours, it is because you are a spendthrift.

My Situation: When I do, it is because I am generous.

Your Problem: When you stay in bed until 11 A:M., it is because you are lazy, good-for-nothing.

My Situation: When I stay in bed a little longer, it is because I am totally exhausted.

Those are humorous because we know they are true! When I judge who am I really exposing? Not them! Me! I’m only making obvious how blind I really am!

I will admit to you that verse 6 is on the surface contradictory. Jesus tells us to not make sharp, vindictive evaluations of others’ lives. Then He tells us to be able to discern those who would be violently opposed to the gospel and avoid them. The dog that Jesus uses as an example is not a lap dog or a pet but a cure, a mangy animal of the streets. The pig or hog was something despicable to the Jew, pearls – robs and attack you. Point: There are some people you need to judge so you don’t waste time trying to persuade someone who refuses to be changed.

Pastor Clark Cothern writes of this same experience "For many years playing my trombone was not just a hobby--I was a serious musician, and perfectionism drove me to excel.

"One December, while practicing with my college wind ensemble, I became distracted by an incorrect rhythm that was repeated not once, but several times, in the woodwind section.

"It was the band director's job to point out mistakes so that they could be corrected, but he didn't stop the ensemble right away to correct the problem. I thought that he ought to intervene immediately. He had other plans.

"My distraction turned into irritability as I wondered when he would call attention to the wrong rhythms being played by others in the band. Irritation escalated to obsession. My pulse increased in tempo, and my foot started tapping out the downbeats in an effort to get the erring woodwinds back on track.

"I became so concerned with the performance of the other band members that I began playing my own part by memory instead of paying attention to my music. My eyes drifted off the director, and away from my own music stand, to the music of other band members.

"I concentrated so hard on other people's mistakes that I missed an entrance, and promptly blared several mistakes of my own.

"That memorable `music lesson' became a lesson in my life. When I become more concerned about someone else's mistakes or sins, I take my eyes off the Director, Jesus Christ, and it becomes easy for me to fall into sin, too."

If, though, we are so caught up in the scrutiny of others’ lives, criticizing them, evaluating them by our standards and are not doing what we’re called to do, then it is evidence we have confused our priorities. If we as God’s people would get so consumed with our mission and purpose as a Christian seeking to point people to Jesus, bear witness for Christ, we wouldn’t be so concerned with pointing our finger at their lives.

Conclusion: Are you convinced that judging others is a risky venture? It is disobedience, it only assures equal criticism, it makes my problems obvious, it shows I’ve got my priorities confused. Do you need further clarification? Let’s nail it down with three things you can take with you.

• When you see failure, remember forgiveness – God’s forgiveness of you. Jesus died for that sin in you and them. He can handle it.

• When you see failure remember you are a sinner—Let the sins of others remind you of your own sins.
• When you see failure remember what’s important—Don’t get sidetracked by specks and dust in others when there’s a world needing redeeming.

Researchers at Northwestern University reported this month that they have created a pen that draws lines one millionth of an inch thick which is a new step toward building electronic chips a thousand times smaller than those now in computers. The research team has learned how to draw a line that is 15 nanometers wide. The smallest electronic circuits now in development are about 180 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. A fine human hair, in contrast, is about 10,000 nanometers thick.

By using this technology it is possible to ``draw'' a million circuit lines for a computer in a single inch.

It’s always wise to remember that when you are the one drawing the lines that there is always the possibility that someone else can draw them finer. Judging hurts-others but mostly me and you. It’s hazardous to your health.

Sunday, February 28, 1999

Dr. Bruce Tippit, Pastor

First Baptist Church

Jonesboro, Arkansas