A little boy went over to a pastor’s house, where the pastor was doing some carpentry in his garage. The boy simply stood there and watched him for quite a long time. The preacher wondered why this boy was watching him and was finally so curious that he stopped and said, “Son, are you trying to pick up some pointers on how to build something?” The little boy replied, “No. I am just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer.”
In Matthew 7:20, Jesus said, “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Often, people discover what we are made of by what comes out of our mouth in both good and bad circumstances. What comes out is called “fruit.” Are you producing good fruit? Or is the opposite true? If you are a Christian, then people should be able to look for and find good fruit in your life. But when we make a determination on someone’s fruit, isn’t that the same thing as judging them?
No one likes to be judged. You hear people all the time say, “Don’t judge me!” The Urban Dictionary tells us about this statement, “Don’t judge me first appeared in the year 2000. It is used to avoid dirty or confused looks after expressing ones opinion. Objectioners rarely intervene once this quote is uttered, in fear of offending.”(1) From a pastor’s perspective, I will add that the phrase “Don’t judge me” is used by those who do not want to be confronted about their unbiblical opinions and immoral lifestyle choices.
So, how do we evaluate good fruit from bad fruit? As believers, are we allowed to judge others? I meet Christians all the time who will gladly remind you of how Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). They will adamantly point out that Christians shouldn’t judge people. What they really mean is, “Don’t judge me! If I want to hold unbiblical opinions as a Christian, or do immoral things every now and then, then that’s none of your business!” Well actually, it just might be our business when it comes to our relationship with fellow believers; and that’s what we’re going to look at today.
We Must Judge Ourselves before Others (vv. 37, 41-42)
37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven . . . 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,” when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.
In verse 37, Jesus said “judge not,” and then He went on to explain why we should be careful about judging. He mentioned something about removing a “speck,” which can be translated as splinter; and He spoke about a “plank,” which can be translated as log. According to commentator A. T. Robertson, Jesus was referring to a large log within the ceiling of a house that held up the roof, such as a ceiling joist. He says that Jesus made reference to an old Arabic proverb which says, “How can you see the splinter in your brother’s eye, and not see the cross-beam in your own eye?”(2)
I love the way the Visual Bible movie presents Jesus teaching on the mountain. It depicts Him walking over, reaching for someone’s walking stick, and then holding it up to His eye, while everyone gets in a good laugh. Can you imagine a man with a big long plank, or a huge log, sticking out of his eye while trying to remove a tiny splinter from someone else’s eye? He wouldn’t be able to maneuver close enough to the other person without knocking him upside the head! Jesus was saying we often harm others in our attempt to correct them; when in reality, we are the ones with the massive problem. So, we must first examine ourselves for transgressions.
In James 4:11-12, we read, “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” After hearing what James said, we might think to ourselves, “That’s right! I knew it all along! No one is supposed to judge! I can’t judge you, and you can’t judge me! The next time you want to hate on me and judge how I live, I can rightly tell you to stay in your lane!”
Hold on now! Wait a minute! The word that both Jesus and James used for “judge” is the Greek verb krino, found in the New Testament 114 times. It is rendered into English by a variety of terms, such as “judge,” “determine,” and “call into question.” We must keep in mind that context can determine the meaning that each speaker had in mind. This word for “judge” can be used in the negative way of passing judgement, and thus condemnation; but it can also mean to “come to a conclusion” or “make a determination.”(3) There is a difference between “passing judgment” and “coming to a conclusion.” The former is based on malice; the latter is based on concern.
James spoke about judging a “brother,” or a fellow believer in Christ, and he elaborated on the type of judgement that must be avoided; which is “speaking evil of a brother” (4:11). “The most common type of judgment is when someone forms a negative opinion about someone on just a few words or a single action. Oftentimes, facts aren’t checked and motives aren’t examined. This kind of judgment is damaging [especially when shared with others] and is rooted in both jumping to conclusions and our own insecurities. If you’ve ever been the victim of something like this, you know it isn’t fun.”(4)
We must not speak evil about our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must be careful about jumping to conclusions before obtaining all the facts, and we must especially refrain from gossip, slander and passing sentence on someone. That’s what James had in mind when he asked, “Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:12). What Jesus meant, when He spoke about getting the log out of our own eye, was making sure that our own hearts were right before making an “evaluation” of our fellow brother or sister. We will come to see that Jesus does not forbid evaluating the actions of others. There is a difference between malice and slander vs. evaluation and concern.
We Judge Others Based on Their Fruit (vv. 43-45)
43 For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Back in verse 42, Jesus said, “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Jesus was not prohibiting judgment in the sense of making an evaluation or assessment; He was saying that before we do, we must consider ourselves. “This will help us to be merciful to others. We won’t come off as ‘high and mighty’ or ‘holier than thou’ if we are trying to be aware of our own shortcomings. Instead, we as Christians will exude a real desire and [concern] for holiness . . . [and] that humility will be a powerful witness.”(5)
In Galatians 6:1-4, Paul spoke about how we must humbly examine ourselves first before pointing out the spiritual shortcomings of others. Listen to what he said: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work.” Confrontation should be done in gentleness as we consider ourselves first, as Paul.
Verses 43-45 seem to imply that we “can” judge someone; and we evaluate them by their fruit. So, who are we allowed to judge? Well, let’s refer back to verse 42 again. Jesus said, “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.” It’s our “brother” (or sister) in Christ that we are able to evaluate. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, “For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges.” Those outside the church, who are unbelievers, cannot be held to the same standards as Christians.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 6, we are told that we, as Christians, actually do have a right to judge. In verses 2-3, Paul said, “Do you not know that [in the end] the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” Paul then provided some examples of things that believers are able to judge as being unrighteous. In verses 9-10, he said, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” So, if a fellow Christian is participating in any of these sins, we have a right to speak up about it.
Galatians chapter 5 is another passage about judging. In Galatians 5:16, Paul admonished Christians, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” In verses 19-21, Paul went on to provide some examples by which to evaluate our Christian walk. He said, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
So, in Galatians chapter 5, Paul spelled out what bad fruit looks like; however, he continued to discuss the good fruit that believers should be bearing. In Galatians 5:22-25, he stated, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Based on what Paul said, if someone is still bearing bad fruit instead of the fruit of the Spirit, then that person’s faith should be in question. One’s fruit is our basis for making a spiritual evaluation concerning an individual’s walk with God.
In verse 45, Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” One of the best ways to know where a person’s heart really lies is by listening to how he or she talks. A Christian might say some slightly borderline things at church; but the most unscrupulous speech will be saved for later, on the streets or in the workplace. So, if you work with fellow church members, then pay close attention. Once you make an evaluation, you are supposed to confront them. Jesus said in Luke 17:3, “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” Sins “against you,” or sins “period,” the principle is still the same; he or she must be confronted.
In Ephesians 4:14-15, Paul said, “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ.” According to Paul, when we hear a fellow Christian speaking under the influence of the world’s doctrines, having fallen prey to the cunning and plotting of those who are seeking to undermine our faith, then we must confront that fellow believer and speak the truth in love. Otherwise, he or she cannot grow in his faith.
So, what happens if that person refuses to listen? Jesus said in Matthew 18:15-17, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
According to commentator John Gill, a heathen was “a Gentile, with whom the Jews had neither religious nor civil conversation.” A tax collector was seen as a “notorious sinner . . . with whom the Jews might not eat, nor keep any friendly and familiar acquaintance.” When they “have been privately admonished and publicly rebuked, without success, their company is to be shunned, and intimate friendship with them to be avoided.”(6) So, if you confront a fellow believer and they refuse to listen, what should you do? In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, we read, “Put away from yourselves the evil person . . . Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:13, 33).
So What about Judging Non-Christians?
Thus far, we have seen how this passage applies to fellow believers. We have a responsibility to call out our fellow Christians when they aren’t being Christians in how they live their lives. But the way we treat non-believers should be different. It doesn’t make sense to apply the same standards to people who don’t claim to be Christians. If the person you’re feeling tempted to call out is not a Christian, why would you think that telling them “Jesus wouldn’t like that” would matter to them at all? So, let’s try this. Introduce people to Jesus. Help someone have an encounter with the living God. Let Jesus convict them to follow Him, even if it means parting ways with certain habits or sins.(7)
Let me add something else. Answering people’s questions is not the same thing as passing judgment. 1 Peter 3:15 states, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” If an unbeliever “asks” how we feel about something that the world approves of – something which we know is a sin according to the Bible – then we should answer their question, being honest about what we believe. If they ask, then we can state our opinion. That’s not judging. If the person feels judged, then perhaps what they’re experiencing is the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit.
Time of Reflection
So, we’re living in a time when people are quick to say, “Don’t judge me!” – even Christians. But according to the Bible, we actually have a right to evaluate people’s fruit; or rather, their spiritual behavior. So, who are we allowed to evaluate? The answer is fellow believers; not unbelievers.
We are supposed to be evaluating their spiritual fruit. We aren’t supposed to assess people in the sense of being the judge and jury. It’s not about condemning people and telling them they’re going to hell for messing up. We are to compare their fruit (or behavior) to the Bible, and if it doesn’t match up, remind them of what the Scripture says and help guide them back on the right path. Remember that Paul said, “If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness . . . Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).
Now, when an unbeliever feels convicted it shouldn’t be because of us, but because God is working on his or her heart. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “When He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). When the Lord speaks to the lost it’s not so much in relation to one specific sin or another. When Jesus speaks He is simply calling the lost to open their heart to Him; to confess their sins and receive Him as Savior and Lord of their life. Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
NOTES
(1) “Don’t Judge Me,” (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=don%27t%20judge%20me), March 8, 2019.
(2) A. T. Robertson, Robertson N. T. Word Pictures, Power Bible CD.
(3) Wayne Jackson, “Don’t Judge Me!” (https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/637-dont-judge-me), March 8, 2019.
(4) Dom Quaglia, “Don’t Judge Me!” (https://lifeteen.com/blog/dont-judge-me/) March 8, 2019.
(5) Ibid.
(6) “John,” John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, Bible Study Tools: www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/luke-2-46.html (Accessed March 8, 2019).
(7) Dom Quaglia, “Don’t Judge Me!”
