Don't Judge Series

Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 7:1-6 NIV (Don't Judge)

1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 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? 4 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? 5 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. 6 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.

INTRODUCTION

When we have planks in our eyes, we consider them specks. When we see specks in others’ eyes, we view them as planks. That is how sin destroys human relationships and community, which is why Jesus warns us to be careful. If we adopt a judgmental spirit toward others, what goes around will come around, and we will be judged.

COMMENTARY

Matthew 7:1, NIV: Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

This may be the most often-misused verse in the entire Bible. Modern culture garbles this comment into a command to never disapprove or correct the actions of another. This mishandling of Christ's words is out of context three times over. First and foremost, Christ does not say "never judge," He warns that judgment has a consequence. Second, this statement is immediately followed by instructions from Christ on the proper way to use judgment. Third, Jesus' other teachings explicitly indicate that proper judgment is necessary (John 7:24), while hypocritical or shallow judgment is wrong.

Even so, this verse—especially the first two words in most English translations—is a favorite quote of those attempting to twist Scripture.

Jesus has been teaching within the context of Israel's religious leaders and how they practice their righteousness (Matthew 5:20; 6:1). He has called out as hypocrites those who call attention to themselves as they give to the needy and pray and fast. Under their leadership, Israel's worship of God had become about proving one's worthiness to other people instead of humbly serving God. So, on the one hand, righteous acts were performed to get approval from others. On the other hand, controlling religious leaders looked for opportunities to express condemnation against those they did not see as sufficiently pious.

Following that example, the everyday people of Israel learned to perform a religious duty for others' approval and to belittle those who did differently than they preferred. The result was a false religious experience: pride and fear of judgment instead of humility and graciousness to others.

In that context, Jesus says to the crowds of Jewish people following Him not to judge others in order not to be unfairly judged. He is talking about having an arrogant attitude: taking the place of God. Lack of humility and grace in how we perceive others leads us to wrongly declare one person's righteousness worthy and another person unworthy merely based on our assumptions. To judge this way is to assume authority over others that God has not given. In the end, God will judge those who judge in this way.

This does not teach that God's people should never express an understanding of the difference between right and wrong. In a crystal-clear statement, Jesus teaches in John 7:24 that His followers must be careful to make the right judgments instead of judging others by external appearances. Also, God often gives Christians the responsibility to judge truth and falsehood (Galatians 1:8–9; Philippians 3:2; 1 John 4:1) and hold fellow Christians accountable for sin (1 Corinthians 5:5).

What is condemned here is shallowness and hypocrisy: passing judgment on other believers as if one were God. This sneering kind of condemnation is clearly and repeatedly forbidden (Romans 14:10–13; James 4:11–12).

Matthew 7:2, NIV: For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Jesus has commanded His followers not to judge (Matthew 7:1), but this statement is not meant to be ripped out of context and misapplied. Here, Christ begins giving some context needed to interpret those words. Christians should not take God's place in declaring some people righteous and others unrighteous when we look only using shallowness or ignorance. They must not be judgmental—implying something unfair or inappropriate—because God has not given them this authority. Those who pass judgment on others for differences of opinion, or doubtful matters, are attempting to take God's place of judgment over His people. Those attitudes motivate people to perform righteous acts to be approved by others instead of God.