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Pearls Before Swine
Do Not Judge
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. John
7:24
We have a tendency to be hasty in our judgment (condemnation).
When we are hasty we are usually wrong.
Matthew 7:1-6
Another prohibition against judging.
Verses 1-2
A caution against judging (condemning).
There are those whose office it is to judge (magistrates & ministers).
All others do well to consult those who are appointed for judgment.
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Jesus did not come to unmake judges.
Proverbs 8:15
We must not assume an authority over others that we do not give them over
us.
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There is a natural tendency to judge others by there actions while we judge
ourselves by our intentions.
This is UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.
The Reason For This Prohibition
That you be not judged (condemned)!
No mercy shall be shown to the reputation of those who show no mercy to
the reputation of others.
The worst is they shall be judged of God.
Just as God forgives those who forgive their brothers; so God will not
judge those who do not judge their brothers.
Retaliation
The judging of those who judge others is according to the law of retaliation.
With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, v. 2.
The righteous God, in his judgments, often observes a rule of proportion,
as in the case of Adonibezek:
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Judges 1:7.
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Revelation 13:10; 18:6.
Verses 3-5
A caution against reproving.
Because we are not to judge others - it does not follow that we are not
to reprove others, for this is a great duty.
Not Everyone is Fit to Reprove
There are those who are quick to censure their brother for a small fault
while they allow themselves large ones.
They are prompt to spy a splinter in their brother's eye, but are not sensible
to the plank in their own eye.
They will be eager to remove the splinter from their brother's eye when
they are as unfit to do it as though they were blind.
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Our own sins ought to appear greater to us than the same sins in others.
The love that we show for others calls their sin a splinter.
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True remorse and sorrow will teach us to call the same sin in our own lives
a plank.
It is common for those who are most sinful themselves to be most forward
and free in judging others.
Pride and lack of Christian love are the usual planks in the eyes of those
who pretend to be patient and nice in their censures of others.
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Hypocrites must receive help before they may give it.
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The hypocrite is not an enemy to sin.
If he were, he would be an enemy to his own sin.
He is, therefore, not worthy to judge or reprove.
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Those who blame others must be blameless.
The snuffers in the sanctuary were pure gold.
Verse 6
Practice discrimination.
In this verse we have two separate ideas being presented in connection
with two divergent audiences.
The Antagonistically Unbelieving
Holy things; things of value, are not offered to just anyone or anything
that comes along.
Just as not all are fit to reprove, not all are fit to be offered the Holy
things of God.
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Those who are unfit to receive Holy things are those who have blasphemed
God’s word after hearing it.
Believers
Pearls are wasted on swine because they cannot be eaten by them, nor their
beauty appreciated.
The key to understanding the prohibition with regards to casting pearls
before swine is discovered in the word your.
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This is your own personal treasure, your pearl which God has revealed to
you.
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