Matthew 7

Judging Others

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

This is one the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. This is the favorite line of non Christians when they are told that they are sinners. “Don’t judge me man!” That is usually how it goes. It is also a favorite of Christians who are allowing sin in their lives. If it is not understood by most and it means something other than what Jesus actually said, what does it mean?

The judgement that Jesus talks about here is not judging if what a person is doing is bad, or calling them a liar because they have lied, or a thief because they stole something. The word that Jesus used for “judge” carries with it a sense of finality. Jesus is talking here about the final judgment where God tells you wether or not you are going to Heaven. Jesus was directing this message the religious leaders of the day who loved to tell people if they were going to Heaven or not. And they based it all on what the people were doing. It was based on works.

Jesus is essentially saying “You do not get to decide who goes to Heaven. God does. You are not God. God is judge and you are not.” If you were the judge you would then be held to the same standard that you hold everyone else to. And we would have an impossible task of living up to your standards. Instead we are called to live up to God’s standards, which is a righteous life, but God has provided righteousness to us through a relationship with Jesus.

Instead of looking at others and checking to see if they are living a Christian life, we should examine our own lives. That is the point of what Jesus was saying about the “speck in a brothers eye and a log in your own eye.” Test yourself. Use that energy that you would be using to examine other peoples lives and judge yourself. Make sure that you are not allowing sin to rule you in any way, shape, or form.

Does all of this mean that we are not supposed to call out each others sin? If you see sin in another Christians life what should you do? Do you just keep quiet and pray for them? When you have dealt with your own sin, you are then in a position to lovingly confront others about sin in their lives. Galatians 6:1 says “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” We are called to help each other out when it comes to battling sin. Not in a condemning or “I am better than you” way, but in love and compassion. We are called to judge sin.

And if that person rejects what you have to say, Jesus says “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. “ If they ignore you, you are no longer obligated to peruse the issue. Pray for them, that the Lord would change their heart, but if you continue to press and push these people, you are wasting your words. How can you know if a person is hard hearted like that? Only God really knows the condition of a persons heart. That is why we must continue to ask God for wisdom (Matthew 7:7-11).