What Jesus Said About Judgment
October 23-27, 2006

Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your

Eye' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.

Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT)

What Jesus says about being judgmental and being judged is among the most quoted and least understood passages of Scripture. His words about judgment have the power to change our lives if only we can understand and apply them. Hypocrisy is when we look at the speck in someone's else's eye and ignore the logs in our own eyes. Hypocrisy is a mask we hide our own sins behind. When we notice problems in someone else, it is often because those are the biggest problems for us. Integrity involves removing the logs from our eyes before we criticize someone else. Before commenting on someone else, we need to choose to have integrity by identifying and admitting our own sinfulness. We should always remember to think: "I have sinned: I have been forgiven". Mercy is shown by helping someone else remove the speck from their eye. Being judgmental is easy when we have no appreciation of our own failings. The opposite of being judgmental is to be merciful. If we remember that Jesus will judge us by the same measure we apply to others, it should help us to be merciful. God wants us to be merciful to others because he is merciful to us. To avoid being judgmental, we need to reject hypocrisy, choose integrity and show mercy daily.

MONDAY

Hypocrisy is looking at the speck in another's eye, ignoring the log in your own.
[My Objective: Be aware of how you can fall into hypocrisy.]

In Matthew 23:25 why did Jesus say that it was hypocritical for the people listening to wash only the outside of cups?

  • Why is it so easy for us to focus on the failings of others rather than to look inside ourselves?
  • How would it help us to remember that we are sinners too?

Integrity is removing the log from your eye.
[My Objective: Learn the Biblical reason to look at ourselves before criticizing others.]

According to 1 Chronicles 29:17 how does God feel about integrity? What does God do to our hearts?

  • Integrity is a choice, not an accident. What can we do to develop integrity?

Mercy is removing the speck from another's eye.
[My Objective: Recognize opportunities to show mercy. The alternative to judgment is mercy: not pointing at or ignoring the speck in another's eye, but removing the speck from another's eye.]

According to Matthew 5:7 what will the merciful receive?

  • What are some practical ways to show mercy to the people in your life?
  • Describe how it might feel to be the recipient of mercy?
  • How might mercy heal a relationship?

TUESDAY

1. THIS WEEK, HOW DO I REJECT HYPOCRISY?
[My Objective: Discuss some areas of improvement where a practical commitment can be made involving hypocrisy.]

What does Romans 12:9 say about loving others?

  • Why is it easier to pretend to love others rather than take action really doing it?
  • What are some ways we can give love to others?

According to Matthew 6:1, how are good deeds not to be done?

  • How can good deeds be done without public knowledge?
  • What are some of the things that hold us back from doing good deeds on a continuous basis?
  • Who are the people in our lives that we should perform good deeds for?

In 1 Samuel 16:7, what does man look at? What does the Lord look at?

  • Why is it more important according to the Bible to perform good deeds in spite of the public acknowledgement we may receive?
  • When do we know our heart is in the right place with God?

WEDNESDAY

2. THIS WEEK, HOW WILL I CHOOSE INTEGRITY?
[My Objective: To be able to face the truth about ourselves.]

What does Ephesians 4:15 tell us to do, and how must we do it?

  • We all know that the truth can hurt. How do you think one might relate a difficult truth in a loving way?

How does James 5:16 instruct us to handle our sins?

  • Why must we not only admit our sins, but inform "each other"? How might this help build relationships? What other benefits could there be to ourselves?

What two things do Psalm 101:2-3a encourage us to do? In order accomplish this, what must we not do?

  • In order to be blameless, what are some "vile" things that we should avoid?
  • To do this, we may need help. Who can we call on to help us say no?

THURSDAY

3. THIS WEEK, HOW WILL I SHOW MERCY?
[My Objective: To learn how God's people are expected to treat others.]

In Colossians 3:12-13, what are the attributes we are called to practice? How are God's people described?

  • What does it mean to forgive as the Lord forgave you?
  • If we become increasingly successful in all these, how will we benefit in our own lives?

Discipleship (Maturity) - We have just learned that to grow in Christ we must replace hypocrisy with love, speak the truth in love, and show mercy to others. If you are overwhelmed, you can always turn to the Lord for help in any area. Ask Him for courage to speak the truth, or for help in saying no to sin. Mercy takes the most courage, since people may reject it. This week, who will you choose to show mercy to? Have the group pray that the members will each have the courage to follow through and offer mercy to those who need it.

FRIDAY

PERSONAL APPLICATION AND COMMITMENT:
[My Objective: Learn how to avoid hypocrisy, develop integrity and be merciful.]

Hypocrisy often is the result of not being aware of our own failings. Ask your small group members to write on a card the phrase "I have sinned: I am forgiven" and keep it in their wallet or purse to use when they feel like criticizing someone else. At the next meeting, explore whether any members made use of the card in the preceding week. In addition, ask each group member to identify a fellow believer they can consult before criticizing another to be sure they are not being hypocritical. Ask the group members to think of situations where they criticized someone else and reflect on whether they had a similar problem to what they were criticizing. At the next group meeting discuss any such situations the group members have identified.