Don’t Judge.

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| Don’t Judge… Help series |

• Don’t Judge.
• Don’t Judge… Help!
• Judgement That’s Loving
• What Does Judging/Helping Look Like?

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One of Jesus’ most famously quoted statements comes from Matthew 7:1

Judge not, that you be not judged.

Matthew 7:1

Jesus is telling us to not judge, and we cannot ignore His instruction. So, what does that mean? If we see something sinful, should we refuse to decide, to pass judgment on whether it is sin? Does this mean that each person decides what’s right and wrong for them, that morality is subjective? Is every matter of good and evil a matter for conscience – “that’s between them and God”? Should we just “live and let live”? In this series, let’s walk through the passage where we find this verse. Rather than stop at what He says NOT to do, let’s explore what Jesus is telling us TO do.

The Log in Our Own Eye

No one wants to be judged, yet we all so innately judge others. That is human nature. Jesus’ statement is so precisely opposite this nature. He tells us not to judge, the very thing we do so easily. Why not? Because we will be judged, the very thing none of us wants. In fact, throughout this Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus does this over and over: countermands what comes natural to us (e.g., loving our friends and hating our enemies 5:43-48, expecting a “thank you” when we give 6:1-4). In this portion on judgment Jesus goes on to say:

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see 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,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye…

Matthew 7:2-5a

Jesus exposes the hypocrisy in our nature. Like in Romans 2:1, we often practice the very same things we are judging others for doing. We might judge someone for committing adultery, but we have lust in our hearts. We might judge someone for being harsh with their kids in public, but in private we feel that same anger. In point of fact, we often judge someone for judging us: have you ever gotten mad at someone for honking when you took too long to go after the light turned green? I know I have judged someone as rude for judging me.

Taking Out the Log

So, what do we do with this human nature? Can we overcome our tendency to judge others and avoid judgment ourselves? Jesus’ instruction takes this head-on. He tells us to first take the log out of our own eye, to first turn that judgment inwards and evaluate our own heart. Whereas Matthew 7:1 warns that we will be judged when we judge others, Paul demonstrates that the opposite is also true:

If we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.

1 Corinthians 11:31

But that is harder than it sounds because our heart so easily deceives us (Jeremiah 17:9). As an example, I’ve applied Matthew 7 by saying: “Sure, I struggle with that, but they acted on it. Theirs is the bigger sin, so I’m not the one with the log here.” So easily our hearts deceive us. Perhaps I feel that I don’t even struggle with that sin, that I am without sin at the moment, or at least without that same sin. In response to this, consider what Paul said earlier in 1 Corinthians:

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

1 Corinthians 4:4

Here, in Paul’s words, lies the key to taking out the log in our own eye. Since we know our heart deceives us, rely on God’s judgement rather than our own. Seek out His judgement, seek out how He views the situation, what He has to say about our motives. Because we know that God judges the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and we also know that His judgement is true (John 8:16). This is what David was talking about when He said:

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Psalms 139:23-24

Let’s follow David’s example, saying “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!” (Psalms 139:17). Engage with God in a conversation (see our series on Talking with God), asking Him to reveal the log in our eye and help us take it out.

What Now?

So, Jesus tells us to take the log out of our own eye, but why, to what end?

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 7:5

We don’t stop at taking the log out of our own eye; that’s just step one. We take the log out of our own eye so that we can help take the speck out of our brother’s. When the log was in our eye, we weren’t able to see clearly to be able to help, but with it gone we are now compelled, commanded even, to help.

We take the log out of our own eye so that we can help

What does this instruction teach us about the idea that we should just live and let live? In “seeing clearly” are we not using discernment? How is this discernment different than judgement from verse 1? Most importantly, how do we do that, how do we help take the speck out of our brother’s eye? We’ll explore all this next week, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!