We have considered five aspects of the reality of the kingdom life: the character of the children of the kingdom, the influence of the children of the kingdom, the righteousness of the children of the kingdom, the purity of the children of the kingdom in their good deeds, and the attitude of the children of the kingdom toward mammon or riches. Now we come to the sixth aspect—the principle of the children of the kingdom toward others. This is the principle of how we deal with people and treat people.
The Lord's words in Matthew 7:1-12 are very clear. In order to have a proper relationship with others we must observe one principle: never judge others. Judging includes criticizing and gossiping. Even talking about a person is judging him. It is very easy for believers as well as unbelievers to gossip. We simply like to know things about others and to talk about others. To avoid this, it is better not to know things about the saints. When I am invited into the homes of the brothers and sisters, I like to stay in the living room. I don't like to go into the kitchen or into the other rooms of the house. I like to be confined to the living room. Why? Because the more I see in a brother's house, the more I know about him, and the more material I have for gossiping. The best way to prevent gossip is to stop collecting material. If you want to extinguish a fire, the best way is to remove all of the fuel. When there is no fuel, nothing can burn.
However, I have discovered a sorrowful and shameful thing: many of the dear saints are fond of knowing things about others. Once they go into another saint's home, they do their best to look into every room and even every corner. In this respect, there is no difference between Orientals and Westerners. Both are exactly the same, for we are all descendants of Adam. Our "feathers" are the same color. We all want to know things about other people. When we are invited into a home, we want to know what is in all the rooms. Although it is very difficult for some saints to recall how many chapters there are in the book of Matthew, it is easy for them to remember the things they saw in someone's room.
As a contrast to this, let me tell you of a brother, an eye specialist, in Shanghai, who had learned the lesson of life. When he knocked on a door, he would not enter, even if the door was open, until he was given permission. Once he had been invited in, he would not be seated until he was asked; and then he would not take any seat, but only the seat that was offered to him. Furthermore, he felt he had no right to look at things, pick up books, or go into the other rooms. Some of the saints, however, feel free to pick up books, open the drawers, the cupboards, and even the refrigerator. They seem to be the lord of that home. They assume the right to look into everything, to investigate, and to collect material for gossiping. You must be clear that the more you know about others, the more you will gossip. If you have gathered the material, you cannot escape from gossiping. What you have taken in will certainly come out. Do not take things in, and you will be able to avoid gossip.
Gossiping is simply another form of judging. Remember that you will be judged in the very way that you judge others. So it is better not to judge. And the best way not to judge is not to know. Learn to be ignorant of so many things. The best way is not to know anything about others. Then you will have nothing to talk about. You can honestly tell people that you do not know. Even when you do know something, you should refuse to talk about it. This is the proper way not to judge others.