Trinity Sermon


	Return to Sermons \| Home
4^th Sunday after Trinity – June 23^rd, 2024 Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas Rev. Joshua Woelmer Text: Luke 6:36–42 “Judge Not, Condemn Not” Theme: Jesus gives us wisdom for forgiving and loving others. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. If there are two words from the Bible that unbelievers know, it’s these: “Judge not.” Even other Christians will throw these two words out when there is any criticism of sacred cows in our society. Sometimes it seems like we can’t even have a conversation about LGBTQ or abortion issues without hearing those words: “judge not.” Now, if you want a quippy remark to someone who says “judge not,” you could respond to them, “Then why are you judging me for thinking a certain way about societal topics? Why won’t you just hear what I say, ignore me, and go on your way? Why did you feel the need to say, ‘Judge not.’” There’s a bit of judgment coming from the “Toleration Crowd” about how we should think. So, perhaps it’s helpful to ask what that “Judge not” phrase means. What is its context, and how should we as Christians understand it? Furthermore, how can we put it into practice, given that these are Jesus’s own words. First, Jesus is not condemning all judgments. In fact, he even says in John 7:24, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with a right judgment.” St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:15, “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” There are some things that we can judge and other things that we shouldn’t. Let’s look first at some easy things that we can judge, and those are actions or deed of other people. This is what Jesus is speaking to when he says, “Judge with a right judgment.” He had healed someone on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees had criticized him. Jesus is pointing out that healing is making someone whole and is not considered working on the Sabbath. Even looking at daily life, we certainly can make other sorts of judgments. Parents must discipline their children in a way that is age-appropriate and is a response to a wrong-doing. I’m sure all of you can imagine what a family without discipline would look like. It would be full of chaos and sin! Can you imagine a situation where a child does something wrong, and his dad disciplines him for it, but the child responds to his dad, “Dad, you shouldn’t be so judgy. The Bible says, ‘Judge not.’” That would be the height of disobedience and insubordination. What if we had no police officers to judge that someone has or is committed a crime? What if we had no judges or jury to render judgments? What if we had no laws or lawmakers to establish the laws? All of these things involve judgment, and God is not opposed to them. Rather, God encourages these judgments as a way of bringing peace and order into sinful human society. Again, what if a criminal said to a judge, “Don’t judge me?” The judge would rightly say, “I will. It is my job. Here is your sentence.” Even taking a step back from these examples of judgment in discipline, there are countless Bible passages that warn us from any earthly evil. We can judge some actions to be bad and some to be good. Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” How can we expose evil if we just cow-tow to that phrase, “judge not”? Let’s take another example, and that is judging doctrine. I hope that you are judging me right now. You should. You should judge what I say and compare it with Holy Scripture. The Bible tells you to. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Romans 16:17 warns us, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” What if one of you were to correct me, and I said, “Don’t judge!” You would be right to rebuke me for saying that to you. Each Christian should judge what they are hearing by the Word of God. This applies to the words spoken from this pulpit, but it also applies to the preachers that are on TV. I don’t only mean the pastors who have a Bible program on TV, but I mean the newscasters and daytime TV programs that tell all sorts of stuff that is anti-Christian. So. We can judge deeds and we can judge words. What shouldn’t we judge? What is Jesus talking about in Luke 6? The answer is that you should not judge people eternally. You should also be careful when judging people’s hearts. Why? Because you cannot see those aspects of someone’s life. First, you do not know their heart unless you talk with them. You can see someone speeding down the highway and see that action or deed, but someone may be taking their wife who is in labor to the hospital. On the other hand, they may just be speeding to get the thrill of the chase. You may not always know. Second, you may have things in you that may not make you the best judge of others in particular sins. This is why Jesus goes on to talk about removing a speak that is in your brother’s eye. It’s a comical picture, isn’t it? Someone who has a huge plank coming out of his eye trying to squint to take out the speck that is in someone else’s? But this would be like an alcoholic who gets offended when someone else is having one or two drinks. This would be like a gossiper who gets offended when they hear something pretty innocuous about themselves. The first thing that we should do as Christians is examine our own life. We should repent of our sins and our temptations. Note that Jesus never says that specks should stay in people’s eyes, only that we should take care when removing them. We should do so with humility and a heart that desires repentance and forgiveness. Finally, “judge not” means that we should not judge people eternally. This is explained by the following words: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” (37). God alone retains the right to condemn people to hell for unbelief. You do not have this right. I know there are many, many curse words out there. God would have us remove all of it from our mouths. Colossians 3:8 says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” However, there are some that are worse than others, and this is not the sermon to talk about all the four-letter words. But the words dealing with condemnation are particularly bad: “Damn it,” “Damn you,” “God damn it,” and even “Rot in hell” are all examples of this. By saying these words, you are putting yourself in the place of God. If you stub your toe in the dark and say, “Damn it” to the chair, who are you to condemn to hell an inanimate object? Or, if someone insults you and you say “Damn you”—again, what right do you have to wish someone eternal condemnation in hellfire? I get it that sometimes these are spoken flippantly, but we should guard our speech, lest something that is said flippantly is really wished upon someone. Like the log in one’s eye, we should watch our feelings towards others. They might annoy you, sure—we are all sinners dealing with one another’s foibles and gifts. But do not let Satan turn your annoyance into hatred, even to wishing someone would rot in hell for all eternity. In the end, the first verse of our reading is a good summary: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (36). All Christian ethics and love flow from God. God was merciful and forgiving to you when he sent Jesus to die on the cross. Even while he was hanging there, dying for your sins and your logs and specks in the eye, Jesus did not revile those who put him there. Rather, he says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This is the attitude of Christians even when we would rather say a four-letter word. All of our speech should be flavored with mercy and forgiveness. Sometimes that means calling a spade a spade. It means pointing out when people have done wrong, when people’s lifestyles are contrary to the Bible. Yes, it means saying that the LGBT movement is evil. But we want to rescue people out of evil. We don’t want people living in sin, estranging themselves from a merciful Father. We want them to repent and live in God’s forgiveness. We want them to recognize that we too are sinners who are forgiven and loved by God. That may not convert hearts and minds in an instant, but it is the way of Christ. Thanks be to Him for being merciful to us. Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen. Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

Return to Sermons | Home

4^th Sunday after Trinity – June 23^rd, 2024

Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas

Rev. Joshua Woelmer

Text: Luke 6:36–42

“Judge Not, Condemn Not”

Theme: Jesus gives us wisdom for forgiving and loving others.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

If there are two words from the Bible that unbelievers know, it’s these: “Judge not.” Even other Christians will throw these two words out when there is any criticism of sacred cows in our society. Sometimes it seems like we can’t even have a conversation about LGBTQ or abortion issues without hearing those words: “judge not.”

Now, if you want a quippy remark to someone who says “judge not,” you could respond to them, “Then why are you judging me for thinking a certain way about societal topics? Why won’t you just hear what I say, ignore me, and go on your way? Why did you feel the need to say, ‘Judge not.’” There’s a bit of judgment coming from the “Toleration Crowd” about how we should think.

So, perhaps it’s helpful to ask what that “Judge not” phrase means. What is its context, and how should we as Christians understand it? Furthermore, how can we put it into practice, given that these are Jesus’s own words.

First, Jesus is not condemning all judgments. In fact, he even says in John 7:24, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with a right judgment.” St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:15, “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” There are some things that we can judge and other things that we shouldn’t.

Let’s look first at some easy things that we can judge, and those are actions or deed of other people. This is what Jesus is speaking to when he says, “Judge with a right judgment.” He had healed someone on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees had criticized him. Jesus is pointing out that healing is making someone whole and is not considered working on the Sabbath.

Even looking at daily life, we certainly can make other sorts of judgments. Parents must discipline their children in a way that is age-appropriate and is a response to a wrong-doing. I’m sure all of you can imagine what a family without discipline would look like. It would be full of chaos and sin! Can you imagine a situation where a child does something wrong, and his dad disciplines him for it, but the child responds to his dad, “Dad, you shouldn’t be so judgy. The Bible says, ‘Judge not.’” That would be the height of disobedience and insubordination.

What if we had no police officers to judge that someone has or is committed a crime? What if we had no judges or jury to render judgments? What if we had no laws or lawmakers to establish the laws? All of these things involve judgment, and God is not opposed to them. Rather, God encourages these judgments as a way of bringing peace and order into sinful human society. Again, what if a criminal said to a judge, “Don’t judge me?” The judge would rightly say, “I will. It is my job. Here is your sentence.”

Even taking a step back from these examples of judgment in discipline, there are countless Bible passages that warn us from any earthly evil. We can judge some actions to be bad and some to be good. Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” How can we expose evil if we just cow-tow to that phrase, “judge not”?

Let’s take another example, and that is judging doctrine. I hope that you are judging me right now. You should. You should judge what I say and compare it with Holy Scripture. The Bible tells you to. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Romans 16:17 warns us, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” What if one of you were to correct me, and I said, “Don’t judge!” You would be right to rebuke me for saying that to you.

Each Christian should judge what they are hearing by the Word of God. This applies to the words spoken from this pulpit, but it also applies to the preachers that are on TV. I don’t only mean the pastors who have a Bible program on TV, but I mean the newscasters and daytime TV programs that tell all sorts of stuff that is anti-Christian.

So. We can judge deeds and we can judge words. What shouldn’t we judge? What is Jesus talking about in Luke 6? The answer is that you should not judge people eternally. You should also be careful when judging people’s hearts.

Why? Because you cannot see those aspects of someone’s life. First, you do not know their heart unless you talk with them. You can see someone speeding down the highway and see that action or deed, but someone may be taking their wife who is in labor to the hospital. On the other hand, they may just be speeding to get the thrill of the chase. You may not always know.

Second, you may have things in you that may not make you the best judge of others in particular sins. This is why Jesus goes on to talk about removing a speak that is in your brother’s eye. It’s a comical picture, isn’t it? Someone who has a huge plank coming out of his eye trying to squint to take out the speck that is in someone else’s?

But this would be like an alcoholic who gets offended when someone else is having one or two drinks. This would be like a gossiper who gets offended when they hear something pretty innocuous about themselves. The first thing that we should do as Christians is examine our own life. We should repent of our sins and our temptations. Note that Jesus never says that specks should stay in people’s eyes, only that we should take care when removing them. We should do so with humility and a heart that desires repentance and forgiveness.

Finally, “judge not” means that we should not judge people eternally. This is explained by the following words: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” (37). God alone retains the right to condemn people to hell for unbelief. You do not have this right.

I know there are many, many curse words out there. God would have us remove all of it from our mouths. Colossians 3:8 says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” However, there are some that are worse than others, and this is not the sermon to talk about all the four-letter words.

But the words dealing with condemnation are particularly bad: “Damn it,” “Damn you,” “God damn it,” and even “Rot in hell” are all examples of this. By saying these words, you are putting yourself in the place of God. If you stub your toe in the dark and say, “Damn it” to the chair, who are you to condemn to hell an inanimate object? Or, if someone insults you and you say “Damn you”—again, what right do you have to wish someone eternal condemnation in hellfire?

I get it that sometimes these are spoken flippantly, but we should guard our speech, lest something that is said flippantly is really wished upon someone. Like the log in one’s eye, we should watch our feelings towards others. They might annoy you, sure—we are all sinners dealing with one another’s foibles and gifts. But do not let Satan turn your annoyance into hatred, even to wishing someone would rot in hell for all eternity.

In the end, the first verse of our reading is a good summary: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (36). All Christian ethics and love flow from God. God was merciful and forgiving to you when he sent Jesus to die on the cross. Even while he was hanging there, dying for your sins and your logs and specks in the eye, Jesus did not revile those who put him there. Rather, he says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This is the attitude of Christians even when we would rather say a four-letter word.

All of our speech should be flavored with mercy and forgiveness. Sometimes that means calling a spade a spade. It means pointing out when people have done wrong, when people’s lifestyles are contrary to the Bible. Yes, it means saying that the LGBT movement is evil. But we want to rescue people out of evil. We don’t want people living in sin, estranging themselves from a merciful Father. We want them to repent and live in God’s forgiveness. We want them to recognize that we too are sinners who are forgiven and loved by God. That may not convert hearts and minds in an instant, but it is the way of Christ. Thanks be to Him for being merciful to us.

Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Return to Top | Return to Sermons | Home | Email Church Office