HEY, IS THAT THE MOTE IN YOUR EYE THAT JESUS WAS TALKING ABOUT?

Edward O’Hara…

I mean, a mote?! Really? When in a discussion with someone about right and wrong and they are quick to say “judge not” as so many do when trying to justify wrong behavior, how should we respond? Because after all Jesus did say, “Judge not, lest ye be judged”, right? Do you think Jesus was commanding them never to judge? Many believe that He was. And many have tried to give different meaning to what Jesus and Paul taught on this subject so that what Paul writes about judging will make sense to them. If that’s you then you will be very surprised to find that there was really something completely different going on here. Here’s what Jesus said as it is given to us in the Bible,

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

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?

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.”

Did you notice that His telling them judge not came with a qualifier? One that tells the hearer that there is actually a right way to judge? It was not just a “judge not”, period, like so many quote Him as saying. It was judge not lest ye be judged. With the qualifier that this can be accomplished in a way that produces righteousness in both by them first removing the beam in their own eye so that they can see clearly to remove the mote in another person’s eye. By giving them this qualifier Jesus shows that what He told them was not a command for them never to judge. But, was actually only instructions that something must change in their own life before they can judge in a way that they would be ok with being judged by themselves. And that change is that the beam must be removed from their own eye first.

Jesus also instructed them that when they judge the judgment they use will be the judgment by which they are judged. Which is why He instructed them at the time that they should not judge because the beam was not yet removed from their eyes. So they were not yet able to judge righteously. This also served to try to soften their hearts toward one another. So they would not be so quick to condemn someone. Because in condemning another they might also be condemning themselves. Something Paul refers to in Rom.2 saying,

“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” So how can the removal of the beam from their eyes be accomplished? 

Do you remember what Paul said happens to the believer at salvation? He said in Rom.6 that when they trust in Jesus they are “baptized into His death” and have also risen with Him. And Jesus says they must be born again so that they can see the kingdom of God. Just as He said the mote had to be removed first so they could see clearly, right? This is because when they are born again they are now able to see clearly as Jesus told them they must because the mote has been removed from their own eye. This shows us that the mote Jesus was talking about is unbelief. Not bad behavior. 

So we are not looking at bad behavior when trying to help someone remove the beam in their eye. We are sharing with them the love of Jesus so they can be saved. This new birth happens at salvation when Paul says we are baptized into His death and have risen with Him. This is when we are born again. Our new birth is the newness of life that makes us God’s children. Children who have the beam removed so that we can see clearly to help another remove the mote from his eye so that they too can see the kingdom of God. 

And when we died with Jesus through baptism it is in this death that we have been judged and found righteous. For Paul tells us that “he who is dead is free from sin.” And that they are “not under law but under grace.” Thus fulfilling the requirement that Jesus gave for being able to judge without fear of being judged themselves. Why? Because they who have believed in Jesus for eternal life have already been judged and found righteous by laying themselves before the Lord so He can judge them. Which is His deliverance. They are judged to be free from sin “by the faith of Christ”.  Because they have believed in Him as He believed the Father which joins us to Him by birth. 

This is why when Jesus said to them “judge not lest ye be judged” He was not commanding them never to judge. But, only that at that time they were not yet equipped to judge rightly because they still had the beam of unbelief in their eye. So when Jesus says judge not here it is a teaching moment. Not a command never to do it moment. This is an example of instructions that are not commands. 

These are the same kind of instructions that God gave to Adam and Eve saying that “Thou shalt not eat. For in the day ye eat thereof ye shall surely die”. Because God knew that if man were to stay in the garden he could never be equipped to relate to Him as God had intended him to. In spirit and in truth in a personal and loving relationship. So in God’s plan from before He made the world He provided the means by which, through His working with man throughout all history, man could become a spiritual being by his own free will by accepting God’s gift of spiritual life. And that means was to be the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

So it is through His apostle Paul that God gave us instructions in 1Cor.15:45-50 so that we would know the reason God planned it and worked it out this way. Because as we look back at all of history we see God dealing with the natural man. A man unable to relate to God on a spiritual level. Showing His love for man in all sorts of different situations. So that we would understand why we need to be born of the Spirit as Jesus said we must. 

Paul taught here in 1Corinthians that the flesh and blood Adam was made with, the same flesh and blood we all came into this world with, can not inherit the kingdom of God. And that this was not because the flesh is evil as so many falsely teach. Which is really just a form of Gnosticism. But, because God’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom where only those who are spiritual can live. While mankind was initially made only for living in this natural world. 

But, if you will be born of His Spirit you will then have the firstfruits of His Spirit that are what is needed to assure you of this inheritance. A spirit birthed in you that will give life to the spiritual house, a new body, He has made for us so we can live in His kingdom forever. If you want this life then pray with me now and Jesus will give it to you. 

Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for me so that I can live forever with you. I believe you are my savior and my God. I believe you have risen from the dead to conquer mortality. Thank you for making me immortal like you are. Thank you that you give me life abundantly. Help me to live for you now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed with me then welcome to God’s family. And now begin to read and believe what the Bible plainly says so that you can learn what God’s will is for your life. And come back often to hear God’s word preached to help you grow in your relationship with Him. If you prayed with me then please leave a comment in the section below so I can rejoice with you for your new life in Christ. 

See you there or in the air!

This message can also be heard at YouTube

Edward O’Hara