Judge Not (Matthew 7:1-6)

2022-02-18

“Judge not” is probably the most taken out of context verses in the history of Bible interpretation. It is used by unbelievers and backslidden Christians to excuse themselves of sin. Matthew 7:1 is their get-out-of-jail-free card, thinking no one can criticize them, ever. However, in a way, it teaches the opposite of what they intend.

Instead, this verse is a warning against condemning someone hypocritically. “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:1-2). If you judge or criticize someone for a sin, but you secretly do the same, that is going to come back to you.

Furthermore, we read, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?” (Matthew 7:3-4). Furthermore, we get this humorous visual of a man with a board sticking out of his eye trying to assist a man with a small splinter in his eye. What should happen first? The first man needs to deal with his board before he helps the other with his splinter:

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

You see the difference? Once you deal with a sin in your own life, it is no longer a matter of condemning or criticizing the other. You are now equipped to help the other man overcome the sin, because you have been there. So, yes, we are to “judge” the other’s sin if we have first dealt with that sin in ourselves. That “judging” is really helping the other person; you are doing it with the right motive by lifting the other up.

Not everyone wants that help. “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6). They are the ones usually saying, “judge not” or “you’re judging me!” Leave them alone. They won’t change, and they will come after you next.

And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. (Genesis 19:9)