Provocative Bible Verses: Judge Not Lest You Be Judged
It may be the most often quoted and yet most misunderstood verse in the whole Bible. People who have never even cracked open a Bible have heard and quoted this verse. “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” Matthew 7:1
Usually that verse is used like a hammer to immediately stop any discussion about the rightness or wrongness of a persons behavior. Almost invariably if someone claims that a certain action or behavior is wrong, someone will say, “But Jesus said we are not to judge anyone”. The clear implication is that we can never say if some behavior is sin or not because we are not to judge. Sometimes these words are shouted out in anger and rage, “You can’t judge me!”.
What is possibly more amazing than the fact that so many people quote this verse and the concept of not judging, is that so many people could get the real meaning so completely wrong. This is especially true since the context makes it clear what Jesus meant by these words. When Jesus said that we should not judge unless we be judged also, he was not saying that we are to never judge if behavior is sin or not. What he was doing was giving us a caution to make sure that we are willing to be judged by the same standard of judgment. This verse is not a warning against judging an action. It is a warning against self deception and hypocrisy.
The way we know this is the same way that we usually know what the Bible teaches. We look at the context. The verse that immediately follow helps explain what Jesus was saying. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:2 In other words, if you are going to say that what someone else is doing is wrong then you better be prepared to be judged by the same standard. If you don’t want your life to be scrutinized, then don’t judge others. If you can stand the scrutiny then go ahead. Think of Al Gore telling us that we need to cut down our energy use in order to save the planet and then finding out that he has three large homes and the carbon footprint of Godzilla. He needed to read this verse first.
Just in case we still have not figured out that this is not a complete prohibition on judging behavior, the next few verses make it even more clear.
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5
Before you ever start to tell someone else what is wrong with their life, make sure you take a good look at your own life first. But notice, Jesus does not say, take the log out of your own eye and don’t say anything about the speck in the others persons eye. That would be the result of never judging anyone about anything. Instead Jesus says that after you take care of your own stuff, then go and help your brother. So you are to help then with their issue but only once you have done a personal spiritual check to make sure that you are right with God.
We need to see this as a matter of helping someone, not beating them down. Jesus used the example of having something in your eye. In order to get it out, you often need the help of someone else to see it and remove it. When we see something wrong in the life of a friend we need to point it out and help them deal with it. When we do that, we are serving them, not condemning them. What this is really all about is determining if something is right or wrong behavior, sin or not sin. We can and should do that with a loving attitude and not a condemning, superior, hypocritical attitude. Pointing out destructive behavior in another person is actually an incredible and brave way to love your neighbor. We understand this when the situation becomes so serious as to require and intervention. How much more loving would it be to step in long before it got so serious?
There are a couple of final reasons why this verse cannot mean that we are never to judge if what a person does is right or wrong. First, Jesus makes it very clear that we are to forgive people when they sin against us. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray that God would forgive us as we forgive others. Well in order to forgive someone, you have to first, “judge” that they have done something wrong. The very act of forgiveness that Jesus teaches so clearly, requires that we identify some behavior as wrong. To fail to judge it as wrong or sinful in the first place, makes it impossible to forgive.
Secondly, the Bible is filled with admonitions that we avoid evil, flee from temptation, cling to what is good and lovely. In order to do that, we have to make judgment calls. We have to decide that one thing is good and another is not. We make these decisions all that time as a matter of course in life. We do it if we are a follower of Jesus or not. Everyone has somethings that they decide are right to to and others that are not. Every society and culture has these things and every member of those cultures has to think and decide, has to judge what behaviors fit the standard.
Bursting forth with the words, “judge not”, should in no way intimidate anyone from deciding if something is sinful or not. If anything slows us down it should be the warning from Jesus that we not be hypocrites who are unable or unwilling to live according to that same standard.
Excellent! And, I agree… this may be one of those oft-misunderstood passages.
This is such an important passage to understand. I’ve heard some people refer to this verse as the “John 3:16″ for non-believers, or those in a backslidden state. Paul also shows us that we are to judge sin. 1 Corinthians tells us the story of a man sleeping with his stepmother, and how the church should have removed him from the local body so that the man would repent and be restored. Great post, Dan.
What a powerful message! Definate food for thought… Brilliant Dan!!
You explained this really well, Dan. Thanks!
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Very good message. I use “judge” as something I try never to do and “discern” as something I try always to do.
Who are you to post such a definitive and potentially judgmental essay, Dan? Just kidding! Well said, and I, too have heard this verse used many, many times in ridiculous ways, often contributing to what some have called “the tyranny of the weaker brother.” But that’s for another post, I guess.
Roger,
I love it. Great sense of humor and a great idea for another post someday.
Thanks
Dan
Well, I’m still muddling along mightily in my pursuit of living like Jesus. But I’ve had the wisecracker role down solid for a while now!
I’ll look forward to your post. By the way, I think it was at http://www.preachermike.com where I first heard the phrase and concept of “tyranny of the weaker brother.”
If you tell someone he is sinner and leave it at that then you are being ignorant that you are also a sinner (Romans 3:23). If you tell someone that he is sinning and then teach him the gospel that he is saved through Jesus (and only through Jesus) then you are picking him up and pointing him towards Jesus…The path to eternal life (Romans 6:23)
If you preach the Gospel you become a tree of life because you are preaching The Words of Eternal life (Another name for Jesus is “The Word of GOD”) Read in the bible that Jesus is the vine that gives life and we are branches of that vine if we live in Jesus as our Lord and saviour so we become part of the tree of life. Branches that do no preach Jesus is the way are dead branches and will be gathered and burnt at the end times as chaff blown by the wind.
Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6)
If you want to become trees of life Preach the Word, Preach the Gospel of salvation through Jesus then you will walk with true power and faith.
In addition to that. Once you know that Jesus is the only way that you get to the Father in paradise you can then understand the flaming sword that guards the path to the tree of life (Genesis). That flaming sword is protecting your heart from living in sin for eternity. Once you find Jesus and join your heart with His heart then your heart changes from a heart of stone (which does not beat) to a heart of flesh (which beats with love) and then you can understand that “The Word became flesh”. Its all about love and having eternal relationship with GOD
That said don’t think that your heart will change from stone to a beating heart overnight. Before that happens all the wrong in you will be taken out of you through fire. You will fight with yourself until you become loving. Ever got down on your knees because you just don’t understand the torment you are going through…You are reading the bible and trying to live it but those around you are against you and you fight with them!?
That is your fire that is purging the old self. Its the Holy Spirit changing you from a heart of stone to a beating heart. Its your path.
Being a Christian is Simple but never is it easy!
What about people who ae judging others sin’s and are committing the same sin of adultry and lust over and over again? How can we teach these christians that before they start telling their brother to remove the speck in their eye they should remove their own board. What if you have politley and kindly done this and they have taken offence? What if you lose a friendship over this?
We all have the right to judge the actions of others, but we cant judge them for those actions. Just as someone can be committing a sin right before your eyes does not mean that that the other person walking the righteous path is to be put higher than the other. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors. Looking beyond our judgment and seeing the person with in is the true challenge. judgment exists, but it is up to us to see how to use it. We don need to be judging others as we will never know why or how they came to be. I see a clear difference with judging the action vs judging the person.
I’ve really learned from what you explained i really appreciate it
you’ve given a clear definition of this action – ‘Judging’. Thanks, like your insight.
This is a great explanation! Deb
I am not of any particular faith, I came upon this site to read this interpetation of this particular Scripture verse.
Very well written and understandable for any one’s faith or path.
This is one of the better interpetations I have read .
It is clear, consise and realistic , in terms that we can relate to and act upon this “act” in this day and age. It has never sat well with me, when people use this passage to do what is sinful, without being judged correctly {out of love and compassion}, in an attempt to deflect from wrong-doing. If judging is done so with the right “mind-set”, than both parties grow in their walk.
Both parties can exercise an action and behavior that is befitting of a ‘believer”. Romans 2:1-3 is another verse that helps illustrate the wrong kind of judging.
Its really a great discussion about the scripture judge not!
This is a great help for me. Im currently researching for our small group topic this sunday about judge not and your site is the exact answer. Thanks!