Guest Post: Stop Judging Me!

Note: This is a guest post since presently I am overseas.  This is by Daniel M. Klem.  His blog be found here.  This is part of a series he’s doing for his blog!

I have a short series! I am taking you through some of the sayings of Jesus that can be … confusing … difficult … misapplied … whatever!

What does this mean? I will look at passages that I have personally heard misapplied, misunderstood, or simply confusion expressed over what Jesus meant.

Now, what is our passage today?

Judge not …

“Judge not, that you be not judged. 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, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”
Matthew 7:1-6, ESV

Perhaps you have heard (or even said yourself) “The Bible says don’t judge!” It is often also said with something along the lines of “Stop judging me” or them.

Obviously, if we tell someone that what they are doing is wrong or may not be good, we are judging that person and condemning them.

But are we judging people?

Firstly, yes.

Okay, I know some of you are freaking out, now, either condemning me about being judgmental or for maligning Christianity, but hear me out.

We all judge others.

Sometimes using judgment is being judgmental. But we all judge others and things pretty much all of the time.

And there are too many other ways to demonstrate this to list here.

Secondly, however, no . . .

We are not judging others, but we are all judged by God’s Word.

We must base our lives on how God expects us to live (this is a discussion for another time), and the Bible gives us many commands and statutes to live by. If we are not living according to His Word, then we are in error (or sin, as the Bible calls it.) Pointing that out is not judging others, rather it is showing they are under God’s judgment as the Righteous Judge.

So, what is Jesus actually saying, then?

When people (and I have done this in my life, too) say that Jesus says we are not to judge others, this is usually the passage people are thinking of (even if they do not know anything about the Bible other than “it says this somewhere, I heard.”)

But notice, Jesus does not stop with “Judge not”. He continued, firstly with “unless you want to be judged.” (Yes, I paraphrased it.)

So, we must begin realizing we are inviting judgment from others.

As I type this, I am actually wearing a shirt that says “If you think I’m being judgmental, stop judging me!” What I (and my shirt) am pointing out is that the person who says “Don’t judge” is also judging. We have both invited judgment by either pointing out sin or assuming someone is judgmental (in the bad sense.)

But Jesus was not as concerned with us judging each other like this.

Look at verse 5:  “You hypocrite, 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.”

In this passage Jesus is telling us, yes, not to be judgmental – thinking ourselves superior to others, as if we never sin (See 1 John 1:10) – but more importantly, after examining ourselves according to Scripture and repenting (changing our ways, often, and arguably always, with the help of the Holy Spirit), seeing that same sin in others and helping them overcome their sin.

We are hypocrites if we are trying to change others merely because they need to.

We are hypocrites if we have the same sin we tell others to stop doing but refuse to stop ourselves. (See 1 John 4:20)

We are hypocrites if call out sin without the love of God flowing through us. (See 1 Corinthians 13)

Therefore, we call out sin and unbiblical behavior because Jesus said we should, but we do it as those whom He as forgiven and changed. We do it with love, because God showed His love through His Son. (See 1 John 4:19)

And is it not loving to show someone they are doing something that could hurt them?

And just to make sure we see it, Jesus gives the warning at the end about giving to dogs and pigs and such.

What does He mean here?

If someone does not want to listen, if they themselves become judgmental or violent, it is okay to move on.

Remember His words to the 72: “if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” (Matthew 10:14)