"Judging Others"
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7 : 1 – 3 ESV) Jesus did not just call us to be His disciples; He rendered explicit instructions regarding our lives together. The above passage is often quoted but poorly applied. According to Jesus’ words in Matthew 7, we must choose not to judge others. Too many people --- many of them unbelievers seeking to thwart |
criticism of their own perverse lifestyles --- quote the “judge not” part of His statement as a blanket prohibition on all evaluation, criticism, or confrontation. Seldom is the entire context of Christ’s words considered.
“Judge not” does not mean judge nothing. Actions are among the few things that can be judged. Evil should be called evil. Sin must be identified as sin. Good actions can be judged as good. We should want these matters pointed out in our lives and may need to graciously point them out in the lives of others.
Here are some matters we should not judge:
Do not judge motives. We do not know why people do what they do. God alone knows the human heart. When we presume to understand motives, we are intruding into His area of responsibility.
Do not judge appearance. People’s race, their clothes, their possessions, and environmental factors are not a basis for judgment. Appearance-based verdicts are notoriously wrong because they ignore the person ---someone God loves.
Do not judge harshly. When you must make a judgment call, do it with grace and love, as you would want done to you if the roles were reversed.
Jesus uses the “speck in the eye” example in Matthew 7 : 3 to make the point that too often we deflect or avoid significant problems of our own by pointing out the shortcomings of others. Our Lord was clear: we must first deal with our own issues honestly before Him. Only then can we rightly reflect His truth and grace when we speak to others about issues in their lives.
We must ask the Lord for a clearer perspective on our own shortcomings.
Because He Lives,
Pastor Dave
dmagee@dbicc.org
“Judge not” does not mean judge nothing. Actions are among the few things that can be judged. Evil should be called evil. Sin must be identified as sin. Good actions can be judged as good. We should want these matters pointed out in our lives and may need to graciously point them out in the lives of others.
Here are some matters we should not judge:
Do not judge motives. We do not know why people do what they do. God alone knows the human heart. When we presume to understand motives, we are intruding into His area of responsibility.
Do not judge appearance. People’s race, their clothes, their possessions, and environmental factors are not a basis for judgment. Appearance-based verdicts are notoriously wrong because they ignore the person ---someone God loves.
Do not judge harshly. When you must make a judgment call, do it with grace and love, as you would want done to you if the roles were reversed.
Jesus uses the “speck in the eye” example in Matthew 7 : 3 to make the point that too often we deflect or avoid significant problems of our own by pointing out the shortcomings of others. Our Lord was clear: we must first deal with our own issues honestly before Him. Only then can we rightly reflect His truth and grace when we speak to others about issues in their lives.
We must ask the Lord for a clearer perspective on our own shortcomings.
Because He Lives,
Pastor Dave
dmagee@dbicc.org