Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt 7:1-2 NIV84) [see these verses in their context below]
Don’t judge me!
People like to tell others, “Don’t judge me!” But we do anyway. All of us. We pass judgment on the attitudes and actions of others as if we are better than them. It’s like a plague of judgmentalism.
Judgments are often made about various events and situations with little to no credible information for their basis. We want to know who or what’s to blame, whether it’s a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina, the 9-11 terrorist attacks, or a pandemic.
If something goes wrong, we are quick to find fault and assume we know how it could’ve been prevented or made right.
These types of judgments—and we are all prone to make them—are fueled by opinions, bias, and misinformation. Sadly, we perpetuate false assumptions and hasty accusations because they line up with our personal worldview.
It’s easy to blame others, the news media, social media, and other outside influences but we are accountable for the judgments we make. No one else.
Harsh judgments are laid at the feet of Christian believers when they are not in agreement with the cultural opinion of the majority.
In some instances, past and present, some Christians are quick to condemn and speak out in a harsh way. I’ve seen it too often and been caught up with such harsh judgments too.
Much of the time, I hear nonbelievers criticize Christian believers with something like, “Didn’t Jesus say not to judge?” Well, He did say, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
Jesus also clarified what He meant by this admonition. But it tends to go unheeded by all of us.
Insights to consider
Reading through these first few verses of Matthew 7, it’s easy to make applications for our present time and within our own cultural worldview. But we should avoid this.
Otherwise, we rush to our own judgment and reasoning and miss what Jesus says.
There are three different attitudes and actions Jesus speaks of in these first six verses—judgment, discernment, and discretion. These three words have different meanings and effects but are closely related.
The word used for judgment, especially in this context in the Sermon on the Mount, means to pronounce or pass judgment. It conveys the idea of condemnation. It’s a decision expressing an opinion of right or wrong.
Discernment has the same root meaning as judgment but with a prefix that modifies the meaning. It can literally mean to judge through something. The idea is to thoroughly separate one thing from another to make a distinction.
How are these first two words different? When we judge someone, we declare our opinion of a person’s rightness or wrongness. “You’re wrong!”
When we use discernment, it’s similar to the common expression, “I can see right through you!” Discernment looks more to the heart or motive of a person without passing judgment on them. In a sense, the other person condemns themself.
Discretion is a combination of discernment and judgment. Judgment in the sense of reason or logic. Discretion is useful wisdom or a knowledgeable understanding.
Consider how Jesus speaks of these three words within these six verses.
A True Way of Life
Jesus’ admonition not to judge others or be judgmental carries a strong consequence—”…you will be judged… with the measure you use….”
We will be held accountable in the same way we accuse or judge others. Of course, when we’re convinced of our own rightness and blinded by pride, we are ignorant of how our judgment of others applies to us.
Jesus clarifies and explains the hypocrisy of being judgmental. He uses an exaggerated illustration, a hyperbolic picture of how hypocritical judging others is.
The “speck” in the eye of the person we judge is so small in comparison to the “plank” in our own eye. The contrast isn’t between a speck and splinter but a bit of sawdust and a beam that could hold up a floor or roof.
We need to deal with our own blind spots, faults, and shortcomings first before pointing out such things in the lives of other people.
It’s a lot easier to see a problem than find a solution. But Jesus gives us the solution to being judgmental—
“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.” Matt 7:5 NIV84
The solution is to examine our own heart and life in the eyes of God not in comparison to others. As citizens of God’s Kingdom, we are to pursue the nature of our King Jesus rather than reflect the nature of the world around us and its self-centered culture.
Jesus then speaks of the need for discernment and discretion. At first glance, we might wonder how being hypocritically judgmental has any connection to dogs, pearls, and pigs.
Here is where we need to understand this verse from the vantage point of time and culture of Jesus, His followers, and the Jewish religious elite.
Jesus uses the images of dogs and pigs as figures of speech. Dogs became a metaphor to personify people of bad or evil character (Psalm 22:16; Matt 15:26; Phil 3:2; Rev 22:15). Pigs were deemed unclean animals under the Law and were not to be eaten (Lev 11:7; Deut 14:8).
So, Jesus is using the images of dogs and pigs to represent people who were either corrupt or unspiritual in nature. There is something not right in their heart, their character, or their way of life.
Jesus reminds us there are times we need to judge between right and wrong or between what is wise or foolish. This requires discernment. We need to separate out what is holy from what is unholy and what is valuable from what is worthless.
Perhaps it will help to use an example from Proverbs—
Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. (Prov 11:22 ESV)
A gold ring is too valuable to be put in a pig’s snout and so is beauty for a woman without discretion.
In an extended story in 1 Samuel, King David is thankful for the discretion and wisdom Abigail shows when she cautions David about slaying her foolish husband for dishonoring David and his men.
And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! (1 Sam 25:32-33 ESV)
So, discernment is judging without being judgmental. It’s not at someone else’s expense and our benefit. Discretion is knowing how to apply the understanding and wisdom gained from discernment.
Each of us should be wary of judging others, especially in a judgmental way. As the apostle James wrote—
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:12 NIV)
Discernment and discretion are helpful and useful but the seat of judgment belongs to the Lord not us.
Reflection—
Jesus’ admonition not to judge others or be judgmental carries a strong consequence, we will be held accountable in the same way we judge others. We need to value discernment and discretion and realize the danger of being judgmental of others.
Prayer Focus—
When you find yourself being judgmental, repent! Ask the Lord for help to restore any relationships damaged by how you’ve judged others. Also, ask the Lord for the benefit of discernment and discretion—useful wisdom—on a daily basis, so you will be less inclined to judge others.
Devo Scripture Text
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
“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? 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? 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.”
“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 then turn and tear you to pieces.”
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
(Matthew 7:1-12 NIV84)