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“Jesus on Judging”
The winner of the awards for “Most Quoted Bible Verse”, “Most Misunderstood Bible Verse”, and “Most Taken Out of Context Bible Verse” may all go to Matt. 7:1 (“Judge not, that you be not judged”). When it comes to defending countless religious errors, sinful attitudes, and even some all around poor spiritual decisions, this verse has become a comfortable hiding place for many in the religious world. But with other commands from Jesus such as “judge with a righteous judgment” in John 7:24, we really have to wonder if Jesus intended His statement in Matt. 7:1 to become a breeding ground for justified sin! Which is it, Jesus? Are we to judge, or not to judge?
Let’s first realize that there is more than one kind of judgment a person might exercise, and different measures one might use in the process. It is true that some forms of judgment are sinful! Preceding the above quotation from John 7:24, Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance”, and James likewise warns us of the danger of “showing partiality” to those we favor, reminding us that in the process we “become judges with evil thoughts” (James 2:4,13). The Lord also forbids us from judging with a blind eye to our own sin (Matt. 7:3-5); How can we ever discern what is good or evil, right or wrong, when we are blind to the very evil which exists in our own heart and behavior?! With the understanding that the judgment and measure we use in our own judgment process will be used in the ultimate judgment we receive (Matt. 7:2), we certainly need to be aware of the proper judgment and measure Jesus expects us to use!
Paul’s command in Gal. 6:1, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” necessarily requires that we exercise some form of judgment! When a brother obeys this command and reaches out to a sinful man, does the Lord expect the sinful man to just quote Matt. 7:1 and continue in His sin, telling the other brother to mind his own business? It is foolish for us to think that Christians are not required to make some judgments! Jesus tells us in Matt. 7:6 that we must at times discern who is worthy of what is holy, not casting “pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces”; This seems to have application to those who continually fail to respond to teaching and preaching efforts, such as those in Israel who turned away the twelve (Matt. 10:14), and those in Antioch who “judged [themselves] unworthy of everlasting life” (Acts 13:46). Paul commended the “fair-minded” Bereans for holding the scriptures up to his own words to find out (judge or discern) whether what he said was true or not (Acts 17:11). The Hebrews writer tells us that Christians “of full age” are “those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (5:14). What word might we use to describe the task of determining whether things are good or evil? The Lord calls it judgment, and we should as well!
Not every judgment wields the sword of personal opinion and preference, but rather some are based on matters of truth and obedience. If we want to please the Lord, it will often be necessary for us to make and take “righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Jesus defined “righteous judgment” for us in John 5:30 when He said, “My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me”. May we learn in our own lives to exercise and respect this kind of judgment which seeks the will of the Father and not our own!
