Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
This passage of scripture warns us against the common practice of rushing to conclusions about others, especially when we do not have all of the facts, and even when we do, we are admonished not to judge, for God can change any person from a sinner to a saint. This advice is particularly pertinent to us in our day, where many of those who commit worst crimes in the sight of God, are quick to ask for the head of other sinners on a platter, as if they themselves stand guiltless before God. The passage in Matthew teaches us that our spirit of discernment should not be used to detect evils and sins in others, but rather should be used to take an introspect look at our own selves, and according to the scripture, we are almost certain to find a "Beam", something much larger and dangerous in our own souls that needs to be addressed.
A prime example of what the Lord is here speaking about occurred when the scribes and pharisees dragged a woman who was caught in adultery to Jesus, so that He could mete out judgment upon her. Christ did not go that route, for He came not to condemn, but rather to save and to heal, therefore He challenged the woman's accusers to cast stones at her, if they themselves were guiltless, and so He began writing out on the ground, much more serious sins than adultery, without naming anyone, and as the accusers saw their own lives passing in review before Him, they went out one by one until no one was left. Let's read:
John 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
The recent scandals that have rocked the NFL have brought resounding condemnation by many who are themselves living iniquitous lives, and many corporations have been quick to heap verbal corrections on those players who have broken the law through domestic violence. Now while it is true that their actions cannot be condoned, we should be very careful not to jump on the national bandwagon in judging and condemning them, for many of the same self-righteous corporations are currently to be found paying their workers much less than what is due or fair, and many of them have removed their productions to poorer countries like India, Taiwan and Mexico so that they can grind the face of the poor without mercy, at starvation wages, so that they can reap huge profits at the expense of the poorer classes.
But according to the Bible, their punishment will be far greater than those who committed far less grievous sins, for in the scales of God, their sins are much more heinous. Let's read:
James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and" ....... 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Let us therefore be careful not to judge any person, for many of those who are found to be sinners today, may very well be saints tomorrow, as was manifested in the cases of Paul and the notorious Manasseh, who were converted through the power of God, and will be given a seat at the "Welcome table" when Christ comes. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to search our own souls and not another, for God alone is the rightful judge. Let's read:
Psalms 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and doing of His every word, for the admonitions pertain to us individually. "Good night" and God bless!