A Message for Hypocrites

Luke 6v37-42

INTRODUCTION

One criticism of the church is that it is full of hypocrites. To which we reply, “This is a good place for them to be… especially today when we have a message for hypocrites! We have been learning what it means to be a follower of Christ. We have learned that when we follow Christ we will be persecuted (Luke 6:22). When this happens, Jesus said we should love our enemy, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27-36). Jesus takes this further in Luke 6:37 when he says, “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. This is a message for hypocrites, and it begins as we…

LOOK AT YOUR SIN (vs.37-38)

Do not judge rather forgive

In Luke 6:37-38, Jesus gives two negative commands and then two positive ones. He says, “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you.”

God gives in full measure

The word judge in v37 means to exercise judgement on someone with the authority to do so. The word condemn means to pass sentence on someone. The word forgive is to release people from their burden. All this suggests judgement from a moral high ground. Instead, Jesus said we should give. He says in v38, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” This speaks of generosity rather than meanness. It is how God responds to us and how we should respond to others.

Seeking to understand

We come through life with many scars. Few, if any would pretend to be normal! In this context, we all need to be understood. We all need to be accepted for who we are and where we have come from. We all need love. We all need mercy. We all need grace. We all need forgiveness.

Unless we are omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent like God, we cannot really understand others. We should therefore leave God to judge. Think of how we judge people at work. Think about the way we judge our neighbours or those on the road. Think about the way we judge when we watch the news. Think about the way we judge people in the church. Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” This is a message for hypocrites. It looks first at our sin, and then…

LOOK AT YOUR SAVIOUR (vs.39-40)

The blind leading the blind

In vs.39-40, Jesus gives two connecting illustrations. One is about a blind person leading the blind. The other is about a student and a teacher. The NLT says, “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Won’t they fall into a ditch? Students are not greater than their teacher. But a student who is fully trained will become like their teacher.”

Following our teacher

In the first illustration, Jesus says we are spiritually blind and need to be led. We can then lead others to the light of the Saviour. Here, they too can be judged in him, and find love, mercy, and grace.

The point Jesus makes in the second illustration is that students are not above their teacher. As followers of Christ, we are always learning about God, about ourselves, and about others. When we are fully trained by Jesus, we will show love, mercy, and grace to others. Colossians 3:12-13 says, “As God’s people (students of Jesus), we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We should put up with each other and forgive one another as the Lord forgave us.”

Pointing people to Christ

Whenever we judge people, we point to ourselves. Romans 2:1 says, “When we judge others, we condemn ourselves, because we who pass judgement do the same things.” In all our struggles, we should rather say, “Let us all turn to Christ for judgment.” Here it is safe for us all.

When we find ourselves judging others, we should stop and think. We should say, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” Knowing our own struggles, we should then engage with the struggles of others, and together seek the saviour. So before you judge, look at your sin; before you judge, look at your saviour; before you judge…

LOOK AT YOURSELF (vs.41-42)

A plank in the eye

In Luke 6:41-42 Jesus gives a humorous illustration. He says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say let me take the speck out of your eye, when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person’s eye.”

Hypocrite!

In v42, Jesus uses a word we don’t like to hear. He says, “Hypocrite!” The NCV says, “How can you say let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye when you have a big piece of wood in your own eye! Hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye.” It is like an optician with a log in their eye looking at a patient with sawdust in their eye. Jesus says we have excellent vision when looking at others, but suddenly lose our sight when viewing ourselves. Romans 14:10-13 says, “We will all stand before God’s judgement seat to give an account. So stop passing judgement on one another.”

Reviewing the situation

We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Our sin is so bad that God had to send his son to die for us. In the light of this, how can we judge others? How can we take the speck out of a person’s eye when there is a plank in our own eye? Titus 3:2-5 says we should not slander anyone. We should rather be considerate and show humility to everyone. At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved. Then the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared… He saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. In response to this, someone has said that there is so much bad in the best of us, and so much good in the worst of us; that it ill becomes any of us to find fault with the rest of us.

Bernard Cartledge