“Judge not, that you be not judged.” —Matthew 7:1 (NKJV) It’s one of the most familiar passages in the Bible. Even people who rarely read the Bible know the warning Jesus gave: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” But in addition to being one of the most familiar passages in Scripture, it’s also one of the most misunderstood. What exactly is Jesus warning us about here? Here’s what He’s not warning us about: exercising judgment. We know that because in this very same chapter He goes on to warn us about false prophets and tells us to examine the fruit of their lives and then discern whether they are speaking the truth (Matthew 7:15-20). So the Lord does expect us to discern and make judgments when the occasion calls for it. But the warning here, “Judge not,” speaks to something different. When you read a little further, you recognize that Jesus isn’t prohibiting us from exercising judgment. He’s telling us how we’re to exercise judgment. He does so by sharing a parable of someone who has a beam of wood in his eye yet is intent on pointing out a speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5). It’s a comical yet powerful picture of the mistake we make when we exercise judgment. Oftentimes we are quick to see problems in another’s life, but we’re blind to the glaring sins in our own. In essence, Jesus is warning us against focusing on the problems of others without first dealing with our own. Judgment needs to start with us. We need to examine our own heart before we make any attempt to examine anyone else’s heart. And when we do, we often find we’re guilty of the very things we’re quick to criticize in others, which opens the way for confession and cleansing. There is a time for us to exercise judgment, but it’s always after we exercise it on ourselves.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 06:17:32 +0000
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