"Don’t judge others"
Matthew 7:1-5
English Sermon delivered by Rev. Sakae Tomokawa on July 4, 2021
We can see that Matthew 7:1-5 was the teaching of the Lord Jesus, who continued to warn the Christians of the early church. It is an important teaching that continues to guide our walk even today. Don't judge others. Do not judge others, lest you also be judged. You will be judged with the judgment that you judge, and you will be weighed with the scales that you weigh. (vs. 1, 2) In the illuminated Bible, verse 2 says the same thing, with some differences. Romans 2:1, 14:3,4, 1 Corinthians 4:3-5, and James 4:11,12. I don't have time to look at all of them, but I would like to read Romans 2:1 and 14:3,4 with you. Please open them. What do you think? He must have known the teachings of the Lord Jesus.
When I read the words "judge others,” I think of the book "In the Light" written by the late Ayako Miura. Ms. Miura said the following: It means that we have two measurements when we look at a person. There is a difference between the scale on which we weigh ourselves and the scale on which we weigh others. If a child breaks a teacup, I yell at him, "Why did you do that?” But if you break it yourself because of carelessness, you just stick out your tongue and say “why?" or "I did it.” They also gossip about other people's things. She says they also gossip about other people, saying things that are not true, in other words, they go on and on about bad things. However, when they are bad-mouthed for some reason or another, they become so agonized that they cannot sleep at night. Is there such a thing as being too hard on others and too soft on oneself, or vice versa? This is no stranger to me.
Every year, I receive a card from a certain church (I dare not mention the name of the church because it is a matter of honor for the church) for my birthday and my wife's birthday. The primary reason I didn’t reply was that I didn't have the energy myself, but to be honest, I was reluctant to write a reply or postcard because I felt that I was forced to quit. I'm going to send a small donation to this church because they are "the Lord's body" and had taken care of us for a short time. That said, today's verse has melted my stubbornness.
Now, back to today's Word, when I prepare a sermon, I prepare it by reading the original Greek text, the Japanese translation of the Bible, and the English Bible. The New Testament translation written by Mr. Goro Maeda states in the note "Do not judge others," "It is not a prohibition against the trial of maintaining order, but a prohibition against the arrogance of man putting himself in the place of God. Mr. Maeda's understanding of humanity is deep. Judging others is probably the arrogance of human beings who think they are absolutely right and the other person is wrong. He said, "You can see the sawdust in your brother's eyes, but why don't you see the log in your own eyes. Another English translation: While you pay no attention to all the beams (logs) in yours How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the sawdust out of your eyes? You have a log in your own eye. (vs. 3, 4).
As I studied the Word given to me today, I was reminded of one confession. I was reminded of one thing while studying today's verse: Christians will face God's judgment at the end of time. Even in our faith, or perhaps it is because we are believers, if we are stubborn that we will never be wrong, we will stray from the right path. The true judgment is God's, and it is dangerous for human beings to begin to think with confidence that they are not wrong. Please read 1 Corinthians 4:3-5. It does not matter to me whether I am judged by you or by the courts of men. I have nothing to be ashamed of, but that does not make me righteous. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, when the Lord comes, do not be hasty in judging anything. The Lord will reveal the secrets hidden in the darkness. Then you will receive praise from your God. So it is said. What a wonderful verse! Isn't it a way of life to simply surrender everything to God who knows everything without any human gain or loss or interest? Isn't it a way of life where we fear God, who judges all things impartially, and walk in freedom, unencumbered by anything? Let's go forward step by step, trusting in the all-knowing God. Let’s us pray.