“Judge not, Lest Ye Be Judged”

Matthew 7:1-6

By Amy Barker

Have you ever walked into a room and actually felt yourself being judged? Maybe with people you have never even met. We can go from a place of unwavering confidence to wanting a hole in the floor to appear and swallow us up suddenly. That feeling of being judged can downright wreck us, if we’re honest. There are so many emotions that we have felt at some point in our lives when we have been judged, and yet we can slip into a really awful habit of doing the same, even unintentionally!

Jesus had a real problem with hypocrisy. A portion of the Sermon on the Mount calls for us, as his followers, to live to a higher standard of behavior. We are called to love and examine ourselves, rather than take the self-righteous approach. So, let’s examine this passage a bit closer for clarity. In Matthew 7:1-2, it says,

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Ouch, that can really step on some toes! That’s a warning: when we are hypocritical, condemn others, and, worse yet, share our nasty attitude about someone with others, we have exhibited no humility or self-reflection. Because of that, we should consider how God sees our own motivations and sins. It can be incredibly easy to adopt a judgmental spirit that turns a blind eye to our own faults. Let’s continue with Matthew 7:3-4.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

This imagery used by Jesus isn’t accidental. It’s absurd, isn’t it? This idea of us walking around with a giant piece of wood sticking out of our eye, but we can still somehow see this minuscule speck of dust in someone else’s? Picture that illustration in your mind the next time you want to have a nasty thought about someone.

But Jesus doesn’t just leave us sitting with this direction without telling us how to help ourselves and others. Matthew 7:5-6 goes on to say,

"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

We must take the plank out of our own eye, meaning we need self-examination. We need to see ourselves through the lens of our Father. What does He think of our habits, speech, lifestyle, etc.? Is He well pleased? Are there areas we need to correct? Of course, there are—those are the planks that need removing. Once we remove those logs from our own eyes, we can clearly see so that we might help our brothers and sisters with the speck in theirs.

But what is this pig talk about? What Jesus is telling us is simple. Do your best to help anyone you can, but don’t waste energy, time, and effort on those who don’t want your help. Not only will they not appreciate your effort, but they could also attack you or your character with words or actions.

So, then, is ALL judgment wrong? There are nuances and context to examine when closely inspecting the judgment language. "Judge," as used in Matthew 7:1, derives from the Greek word "krino," which can mean to discern or decide. So is Jesus saying “ do not be discerning” or “do not be condemning”? Here, my friends, is where unbelievers can come against Christian followers. They are often quick to point out that we are condemning when, in fact, we may simply be discerning.

While Jesus was here on Earth, He lived by example, and He regularly addressed people’s destructive choices throughout the Bible. Therefore, it wouldn’t make sense for him to advise us against using discernment in all areas of our lives. In short, our positive self-judgment should never lead us to look down our noses at anyone. We can, however, call out wrongdoing in ways that don’t condemn or make others feel less than. The far more important lesson here is to speak up when necessary, but always check ourselves before we do. Make sure our motive is pure and that our honest humility operates from forgiveness and grace.