Matthew 7

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Many people use these verses to claim that we are told not to judge others, so we should just mind our own business and not get involved.  However, there are some instances where we are asked to judge others’ actions.  In verse 5, Jesus tells us how to judge.  He says “first take the log out of your own eye, then you can take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”  We are called to restore a fellow Christian who is sinning, but to do it with a spirit of love, and with their best interest at heart.  In Galatians 6:1, Paul says “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” The main temptation to avoid is pride.  Sometimes we may be tempted to think we are better than others, especially if they are struggling with a certain temptation or sin that we do not struggle with.  Remember that we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  This call to judge others does not apply to the way we are called to treat non-Christians.  They are not held to the same standards of righteousness that we are.  We should love them and model Christian values for them, but we should not judge them.  Do you remember what you were like before Jesus saved you?

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

To “build on the rock” means to hear Jesus’ words and DO them.  James tells us “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22-25).  The difference between the wise and the foolish man is this: the wise man puts into practice what he heard from Jesus, and the foolish man ignores the teachings.  They both experience the same circumstances in life, but the wise man’s “house will stand.”  We will experience a “peace that passes understanding” and joy in spite of our circumstances, if we do what God tells us to do. We should continue every day to build our lives on “the Rock” so that “my house will stand” in the day of trouble, no matter what comes my way.