12/17/20
Gibbs, Jeffrey A. “Matthew 7:1-6: On People." Matthew 1:1-11:1. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006, pp. 367-375.
Jesus' prohibition on judgment, from Matthew 7:1, should not be read as a command to accept anything and everything uncritically. Gibbs observes that God judges, but that he does it rightly. If we judge in a hypocritical manner, we might expect God to repay us in kind (Gibbs 2006, 367). Rather, we judge others in the way God has judged us, with mercy and grace.
Gibbs reminds his readers that when Jesus and his disciples proclaim Law and Gospel they do accuse, or at least God's Word accuses (Gibbs 2006, 369). The issue, pointed up by Jesus' words about the speck and the beam, is acting in a way that is blind to our own problems. The hypocrisy iw what condemns, not fair judgment. Gibbs points out that the teaching on judgment should make us slow to confront others, as well as gentle when doing so (Gibbs 2006, 370).
Verse six is normally considered a difficult statement. In general people assume the valuable things in the verse have to do with doctrine and that the dogs and swine are unbelievers or sme sort of outsiders (Gibbs 2006, 371). Gibbs finds the interpretation lacking. The context doesn't lead to the interpretation. Further, all people are predisposed to reject or misuse the Gospel. It also does not seem consistent to limit the proclamation of the Gospel as the traditional interpretatin could suggest (Gibbs 2006, 372).
Some have suggested that the holy things in the passage are godly character or opinions (Gibbs 2006, 373). Gibbs sees that the passage may serve as a summary of the judgment theme. If this is the case, we are warned against hypocritical judgment or an arrogant attitude which could get us trampled. Gibbs considers the biggest challenges to this view as seeing fellow Christians as the holy things. We confess our sin, but God does call us holy (Gibbs 2006, 374).