Matthew 7:1-11 | Grow in Love and Understanding

There’s a practice in Judaism called favorable judgment in which you would judge another person in their favor. No matter what their actions or words are, you would look past the offense (even if it’s intended) and judge favorably.

My favorite example of this is when someone cuts you off in traffic. Instead of getting road-rage and upset, you would think about what could go on in their life. Maybe they feel sick and need to get home or to the hospital. Maybe they didn’t see you and didn’t mean to do that. Maybe they’re distraught and upset about themselves for being late to work. Anything like this proves to be favorable judgment because it brings you to a place of understanding the other person from a human standpoint, not making you superior. Because any of these things could be your situation and you would want others to be understanding with you. 

Practicing favorable judgment is like building any other habit. You start small and soon enough, it becomes part of your life. I first started practicing it in the car. In instances like someone cutting me off, someone driving slower than my liking, or when someone honked at me for going too slow, I practiced favorable judgment and forced my mind to think in their favor.

Overtime, this kind of thinking trickled into other parts of my life such as work situations with coworkers, family issues, maintaining friendships and relationships, my marriage, and even daily household happenings. It’s even worked with comments and messages on social media platforms.

There are still situations and moments where I get worked up and frustrated or anxious, but mostly, favorable judgment has helped me walk through some dark valleys, especially when it involves other people. It’s helped me to grow in love and understanding and has taught me to pursue relationships instead of being right or judgmental. Which is why I want to talk about Matthew 7:1-11 and what I learned from my recent study of these verses.

Matthew 7:1-5 — Judge Accordingly

In the first five verses of Matthew 7, we see Jesus’ command to judge accordingly. This isn’t a command for universal acceptance of any lifestyle or teaching, but a command to judge accordingly, mindful and aware of ourselves as much as possible. We are called to show unconditional love, not unconditional approval. There’s a way to love without approving things that are unrighteous. We can still be kind and gracious as we express the standard to which Jesus called us to through our lifestyle and actions. It’s not about pointing fingers, but pursuing relationship and understanding before boldly judging and making wrongful assumptions of others. The Enduring Word Commentary says we should only judge another’s behavior when we are mindful of the fact that we ourselves will be judged, and we should consider how we would want to be judged.

We are often far more generous to ourselves with judgment. It’s common to judge others according to one standard and ourselves by another. But if we want people to be understanding of us, it’s essential for us to learn how to be understanding of others as well. To think in their favor, even when they don’t deserve it, because it frees you from being judged wrongly in the future. Not that all judgment of you will stop, but that even if someone judges you wrongly, favorable judgment on your part covers that and protects you from taking offense. This brings me to the next part of these verses about the specks and logs. 

In verses 4-5, Jesus paints a hilarious picture about one having a speck in their eye, which is possible, and another person having a log in their eye, which is not possible. Even unbelievers know this illustration because it is easy to understand and memorable. Just imagine a person with a log or plank in their eye trying to help a friend remove a speck from the friend’s eye. It’s quite funny. 

It’s always easier to point out issues in other people’s lives. But these issues are often specks compared to the logs in our own lives (or eyes). I’m not saying there isn’t a place for correction and admonishment, but that before we judge and make bold statements towards others, it’s important to look at as many angles as possible and try to have favorable judgment to pursue or salvage the relationship as much as we can.

Finally, Charles Spurgeon’s quote helps us understand this. He says, “Jesus is gentle, but he calls that man a ‘hypocrite’ who fusses about small things in others, and pays no attention to great matters at home in his own person.”

Matthew 7:6 — Share Wisely

Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

In Matthew 7:6, we learn that there is a way to balance love with discernment. Even though we’re commanded to judge not, Jesus invites us to increase discernment and grow in understanding. In this verse, Jesus helps us understand that there are some things we should not give to those who will receive them with contempt and hatred. We can understand the dogs and swine in this verse as those who are hostile to God’s Word and call to salvation, but the dogs and swine here also represent hypocritical, judgmental believers who don’t pursue relationship with other people but only care about being right. There’s a way to defend the Gospel and the Word of God without attacking other people’s characters and dignity.  

When I read this verse this time around, I paused and recognized the importance of sharing my revelations and perspectives of the Bible more carefully, especially online. In my last post about Proverbs 31, I drafted it fairly quickly and shared my thoughts from a place of excitement that there was more to the chapter than what we often hear. I didn’t edit with the care and intention I normally do, and quickly felt the repercussions and backlashes after I posted it. What I could’ve delivered gently and carefully came across as thoughtless, discouraging, and as if I don’t do my due diligence in reading the Bible or maintaining my relationship with God. 

Thankfully, I received sound feedback from a dear friend who helped me “hear” how most people would receive this post. I didn’t take this post down but updated it (and might continue to) as I learn more about Proverbs 31. But my friend’s judgment of my take on Proverbs 31 helped me grow in understanding and character, as well as how to treasure God’s Word, holy and pearl-like, before sharing it with the world. Because of our existing relationship, I could take her feedback and process it correctly without getting offended or letting it shut down my passion for God and His Word. Whereas on social media, where I received all kinds of comments, there was no basis of relationship and no room for me or others to grow.

There’s a way to have favorable judgment while growing in love and understanding and learning how to share wisely the things God puts on our hearts.

Matthew 7:7-11 — Be Careful What You Ask For

Considering the previous verses, verses 7-11 help us see the importance of being careful what we ask for. There is so much truth in Jesus’ words in verses 7-8: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

We often think in present-tense with these verses. We think about what we need or want now and what we’re lacking and missing now. I venture to say it’s equally important to consider what comes after the things we ask for and seek, and what’s behind the doors we knock on. We can try to discern and judge wisely, not only what’s on the other side of these things, but how we will react to them. Just as we don’t know the results or outcomes of situations because we don’t know the future, we also don’t know how much we’ll grow and what we’ll learn by the time we get to those situations. But we can look at the Bible and consider where we would like to be and how we would like to react, no matter the outcome. 

In verses 9-11, there’s an angle of trust we need to get with asking, seeking, and knocking. Though we can make assessments and determine how things could look, we need to approach the Lord with a trust that He will protect us even from the serpents and stones we could ask of Him. Sometimes we ask for things we’re not ready for, we seek for things we shouldn’t find yet, and we knock on the wrong doors because we think it’s what’s best for us. But thankfully, we have a Father in heaven who graciously protects us from our own requests and helps us get the discernment we need for ourselves and for others.

Conclusion

We are called to judge accordingly and with ourselves in mind, to share wisely with discernment and unconditional love, and to be careful what we ask for with trust in God who wants to give us more than just what we ask for. God wants a relationship more than anything. I don’t say that to be cliche or trendy. He truly desires a relationship where we are wholly devoted to Him and becoming more like Christ. Similar to this desire, I believe every Bible-believing Jesus-follower needs to pursue relationship and understanding. We all come from different backgrounds, but we can grow in love and understanding to get closer to the truth of Jesus Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).