Do Not Judge 

Assignment: Read this lesson and Matthew 7:1-5.

Do not judge. Jesus is presenting a similar model of reciprocation in this passage regarding the judgment of others as he did with forgiving others. He repeats the theme of God’s reciprocity we covered a few weeks ago. Remember, Jesus told us that we must forgive others, all others if we expect to be forgiven ourselves. Today, he offers a command followed by his rationale. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (v.1)

That statement raises three critical questions: who, what, and how. Who will judge? What judgment is Jesus talking about? And finally, how do we judge? The last question may surprise you since he told us not to judge, but it will soon become apparent.

[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. (Matthew 7:1-5 | NIV)

Judging vs. Discerning

The first thing to notice is that Jesus said we are not to “judge.” He did not say, “Do not discern.” To “judge” is to pass a sentence – which is God’s prerogative rather than ours. To “discern” is to recognize truth, error, virtue, or sin and to respond accordingly. For example, the apostle Paul admonishes disciples to “Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 | NIV) He implies that we must discern hypocritical and disobedient members and avoid them. Paul even handed members over to Satan. (1 Timothy 1:20) We are expected to correct misconduct observed in our Christian brothers and sisters, not those who do not know Jesus.

Jesus provided an example of how to respond when a brother or sister sins against us. This example is equally applicable to those who dishonor God with their actions.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17 | NIV)

Restoration not Retribution

The purpose of correcting another Christian must always be restoration, not retribution. ⁶ The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. (2 Corinthians 2:68 | NIV)

Not judging does not at all imply just leaving everyone alone. A judge is someone who passes a sentence, and in the context of Jesus’s teaching, we must conclude that it means that you are not to assume you have the authority of God to condemn them to the “lake of fire” or even want that to be their destiny, for what they have done. I am sure that it also means that if you are truly converted to Jesus, you are converted to the heart of Jesus and have absolutely no desire to be anyone’s “judge.”

When God saw murderous Saul’s wicked activity, he also knew the change he would make in his life, resulting in the emergence of the apostle Paul. He did not pass the sentence that justice demands on Paul. You and I lack God’s omniscience, and while we must carefully discern what is evil, we must discipline ourselves to want something more than for them to “get what they deserve” and instead desire for them to change from a Saul into a Paul. That is what God wants for them. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 | NIV)

Three Types of Judgment

The entire Sermon on the Mount is about living with an eternal perspective–living with heaven in mind. Jesus keeps reminding us that we do nothing that God does not see, even though we often live as if that is not the case. Thus, we can logically conclude that he tells us that God will judge.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged” is not a blanket statement. It is not as all-encompassing as it might appear. In his letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul commands believers to judge in one passage (1 Corinthians 5:2) and not to judge in another (1 Corinthians 4:5). The answer is found in the fact there are at least three types of divine judgment found in the New Testament. I am sure they must have official theological designations, but I’ll call them something that makes them easy to remember: destination, disciplinary, and determinative judgment.

Destination Judgment

God does that by judging based on faith in Jesus. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 | NIV) Those who have trusted Jesus for salvation will be heaven-bound, and those who rejected him will be destined for eternal separation from God. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. (John 12: 8 | NIV) If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be sentenced to eternal separation, but don’t breathe a sigh of relief. Judging may still affect your life in other ways on both sides of eternity.

Disciplinary Judgment

This is God removing his protection to allow Satan to inflict illness, suffering, and even death on wayward believers. “. . . hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:5 | NIV) Paul is talking about an unrepentant Christian who may have been allowed to die and lose his earthly life to preserve his eternal one. God is a loving parent, and loving parents discipline their children. “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Hebrews 12: 5b-6 | NIV)

In addition to death, our sin may be punished with sickness or other misfortune.

That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged this way by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.(1 Corinthians 11:30-32 | NIV)

Most of us know at least one judgmental person who is generally unhappy and perpetually suffers from one sort of ailment or another.

Determinative Judgment

In verse 1, Jesus discussed this. Like destination judgment, this is not our job. Only God knows what is in a person’s heart. We can question the what of another’s actions, but the why belongs to God alone.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23 | NIV)

The quality of our work will be tested. “. . . each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work.” (1 Corinthians 3: 13 | AMP) Good work, done with the right motives, will stand. The other stuff will not.

Self-Examination

A fourth type of judgment is key to understanding Jesus’ point and is necessary for us to judge correctly: the disciples critique themselves in light of Scripture. Self-examination and repentance are the keys to knowing who and how we should judge. Those being judged must be members of the local body who violate clear biblical teaching.

As we have seen, there is a progressive, Scriptural way of doing it. First, a one-on-one meeting with the offender, then a private conference with the offender and two or three witnesses, and, finally, an announcement before the entire church, at which time the offender is excluded from participation until they, hopefully, repent and are restored to full fellowship. The process ends at the first stage when repentance occurs. That is the formal church process. But how do we, as individuals, discern or judge the behavior of a Christian brother or sister?

Correct Authority

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (v.1). This is a common catchphrase among Christians and unbelievers alike. Unbelievers often throw this in the face of Christians who share the eternal cost of sin with them. They don’t understand love is behind the gospel message.

When Jesus tells his disciples not to judge, he most certainly does not prohibit us from calling sin what it is and avoiding and removing the unrepentant brother or sister from the congregation. However, he does prohibit us from calling sinners out for their sins. Our job is to inform unbelievers that sin lives in all people, and those without Jesus risk eternal separation from God. That’s it. The convicting is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility.

Sin in the Pews

Regarding our brothers and sisters in Christ, the Apostle Paul taught us how to respond to sin in the church and cautioned us to leave the judging of unbelievers to God.

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:11-13 | NIV)

When we judge, we must do it based on facts, not appearances. Jesus said, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24 |NIV)

The story is told about an African man who was sitting next to an Englishman at a conference dinner. When the food was served, the Englishman leaned over and said, “Eat! Yum, yum, yum. Good, eh?” He turned to the African again when the drinks were served and said, “Drink! Slurp, slurp, slurp. Good, eh?” After the meal, the speaker was invited to the platform.

To the Englishman’s surprise, the African man, who had two Ph.Ds., spoke impeccable Oxford English, and had represented his country in the U.N. for three years, got to his feet, went to the platform, and delivered his message. When he finished, he sat down, and as he did, he leaned over to the Englishman and said, “Talk! Blah, blah, blah. Good, eh?” If ever there was an example of judging on appearance alone, this is it. The Bible teaches us to judge and not to judge, depending on the person and the situation. We should never judge without knowing the whole story, and certainly not on appearances alone.

The Right Motive

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (v.2) Paul encourages Christians to judge actions, not motives. Our concern should be what another has done, not why they did it. The why should be left up to God. He sees the heart. All we can deal with is what is observable: the person’s actions. Increasingly, we tend to see those who disagree with us as enemies, even though they bear the same image of God that we do and, if they are Jesus’s followers, carry his Spirit. We are wrong to judge them for matters not supported by Scripture, yet we do. Even some pastors have publicly declared people who do not share their political views are not Christian.

We have discovered that we are only authorized to judge the sinful actions of other Christians based on clear, biblical standards. And we are not to judge unbelievers at all. The candidate someone votes for is only a political choice, not a sin, no matter what some religious authority or organization might lead you to believe. Jesus teaches disciples that judging another based on political views or anything else without moral, spiritual, or eternal implications is unmistakably wrong. I am sure I am not giving any secrets away when I say there will be no red or blue states in heaven.

The purpose of judging correctly is to restore a brother or sister whose actions do not honor God or adhere to sound biblical teaching—notice I said biblical, not denominational teaching or political views. The result should be to free another from the grasp of sin and its eternal consequences, not to elevate ourselves.

Check Your Heart

We are Pharisees and hypocrites if there is any other reason for judging. Before judging, it is important to have the full story. And, finally, our judgment must be tempered with mercy. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.  (James 2:12-13 | NIV)

Know all the facts before judging, and never judge on appearances alone. A church committee was looking for a new minister. One application intrigued them. “I have some success in ministry as a preacher, writer and administrator. But I am over 50 and have never stayed long anywhere. Sometimes I’ve had to leave a parish in a hurry because I cause riots. I’ve been jailed three or four times–but not for doing anything wrong. My health is not good, but I’ve found the strength to travel far and wide. I do not get on very well with religious leaders in towns where I’ve preached. Some have threatened and attacked me. I don’t keep good records. I’ve even forgotten the names of the people I baptized. However, if you appoint me, I shall do my best, but I will not please everyone.” The committee looked at one another and gave this applicant the thumbs down. One asked, “Who signed it?” The response: “The Apostle Paul.”

Judge with the right standing. Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed, “By judging others, we blind ourselves to our evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” Jesus said it like this,

“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. (vv.3-5)

Blind Guide

Like Bonhoeffer, Jesus says we tend to overlook our shortcomings in our rush to “help” our brothers and sisters. We have all heard the old saying, “The blind cannot lead the blind.” Through exaggeration, Jesus is taking the thought even further. He says a blind man does not need a blind eye surgeon to get a splinter out of his eye. And the soul of another is no less sensitive than the eyeball. We have no business digging in another’s eye unless we can see clearly. And unless we are free of the sin we hope to help another overcome, we are nothing more than blind eye surgeons.

We should first examine ourselves. We are only to judge others after we have repented of similar sins in our lives and set our own house in order. And when we help, we should do so with mercy, grace, and humility. John Wesley said, “We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others.”

This is the only time in his sermon Jesus uses the word “hypocrite” to describe a Jesus-follower. Critical people, as a rule, do not receive criticism well. Marian Keyes posits, “The things we dislike most in others are the characteristics we like least in ourselves.” When tempted to criticize, stop and analyze your real motive. Might you simply be reacting to your sin that you see in another? Carl Jung observed, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

Discussion

1. What did you discover about yourself in this lesson?
2. What, if anything, surprised you?
3. Is it right to judge others based on their political views or affiliation? Why/why not?
4. Why is it so easy to judge others while making allowances for ourselves?
5. If you judge other believers, what is your motivation? (“The things we dislike most in others are the characteristics we like least in ourselves.”)
6. Do you ever stop to wonder why you are tempted to judge another? If so, what usually happens?
7. Why is it so hard not to wish the worst on those who hurt us?
8. Why does it seem easier not to judge than to exercise our discernment responsibility to our Christian brothers and sisters?
9. Do you judge actions or motives?
10. Do you plan to change any behavior because of this study?

NOTE: This lesson was co-written with Reed Merino, author of Blueprint for a Revolution: Building Upon All of the New Testament, Volume 1 (What Your Church Should Be Teaching and Building).