Do Not Judge
Matthew 7:1-6 “Judge(Condemn) not, that you be not judged. (Condemned) For with what (condemnation) judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”
We’ve all been victims and we all have been guilty. What’s so delicious about judging others? Why do we do it? Are we powered by a desire for self-aggrandizement or feelings of inferiority? Do we honestly feel that we possess the wisdom of the universe and therefore are qualified to judge? Whatever the reason, Jesus has a word of advice: “STOP JUDGING OR YOU’LL BE SORRY!”
Our problem is that when we judge, we refuse to realize that “the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” In other words, what goes around will definitely come back around. My mother used to say “Be careful what you say because when your chickens come home to roost, they might turn out to be turkey buzzards!” (For those of you not conversant with free range chickens, free range chickens wander all day but then return to their roosts or their chicken house at night. Mom was implying that the judgement you give out might bear horribly unanticipated results.)
Why do we judge if we are not God and we don’t know the human heart? No matter how discerning we are, we don’t understand people as God does. Think about it. Do you want someone else who doesn’t have all the facts of your situation assessing your performance? At one point, an acquaintance with no formal training in health care tried to assert that he was a health care professional because he had done several short courses. All I could think of was the sleepless nights, the long working hours, sacrificing holidays, anniversaries, and vacations, plus not attending professional meetings for several years so that the money could help poor patients. For this man to call himself a health professional was an insult to every health professional in the world. Despite a total lack of knowledge, this man considered himself an informed judge because he was holding a position for which he was totally unsuited. Sadly, he may have succeeded in destroying a number of true health care professionals.
There’s another reason for us to refuse to judge: We are the only hands and feet that Jesus has. If we want to be disciples of Jesus, we must follow his commands and refuse to be bad advertising. I am always afraid when someone says that they want to tell me something “in love,” because if they are about to say something loving, I will know it; otherwise, I really don’t need more criticism than I am already facing. As disciples, we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. How can we possibly convince anyone that Jesus loves them if we pour verbal acid all over them? Advertising gurus have long known that people are 5 times as likely to remember bad experiences as good ones. Once we have cut loose with criticism, we have ruined opportunities for witness and ministry.
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”
Why does Jesus include this teaching with the one on judging? At the same time we are not to judge and condemn, we also must be aware of the fundamental nature of people. Some people are very receptive and will welcome help, encouragement, or even a small word about Jesus. Others will respond by attacking us. But we must allow God to guide us. Long before we were married, my husband, Bob, was not a Christian, but he worked in a factory with a man he described as a “pushy Baptist.” Every day when this man saw Bob at work, he would accost him, telling him, “Bob, you’ve got to get the Lord in your life or you’re going to hell!” One day, Bob found himself turning around, going back this guy, and asking, ”Jack, how do I get the Lord in my life?” That day Bob took Jesus as his Lord and Master and Savior. He has never looked back.
Bob’s salvation story illustrates the fact that we never know what approach will work with people-yet another reason for refusing to judge. For Bob, only a direct confrontation would work. Tell others that same thing, and they would run in the opposite direction as fast as possible.
The point is clear. The decision is up to us: Judge or not, but remember, what goes around will definitely come around!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to stop judging and start treating others as people for whom Jesus has died for their sins. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen
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