In Matthew 7:1, Jesus warned: “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.” This verse has become one of the favorite recourses of those who seek to respond to any mention that their lifestyle or viewpoints may not fit with the values of the Bible. Indeed, in our day of pluralism and amidst calls for tolerance, Christians find themselves judged quite harshly as being “hypocrites” and “haters” if they seek to hold up the error of the world’s ways. And in light of this warning from Jesus, many Christians themselves tend to think that we are prohibited from passing any judgment on others. An anonymous quote sums up the modern attitude by stating, “We can judge others or we can love others, but you can’t do both at the same time.” But that is not what Jesus taught or demonstrated.
Let’s look at the setting of Jesus’ warning. In Matthew 7, Jesus was in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In Matthew 5, He presented the argument that the type of righteousness God requires of us exceeds the external, superficial righteousness that most accept, and He called for a deeper righteousness that permeates even through the intent of the believer and to the root of every action. He refused to be seen as dismissing God’s demands on us, but rather raised the expectation to an even higher level. In comparison to others we may be pretty good, but God’s standard is greater. Indeed, He concluded the chapter with a command for us to be perfect, like God himself. In short, Jesus did not excuse or diminish sin, nor should we, in our own lives or in others.
Next, in Matthew 6, Jesus taught that our “acts of righteousness,” — such as giving to the poor, prayer, fasting and the sort — all should be performed not simply to be seen by men so that we can be judged as good, but with a deep humility and in such a selfless manner that they are true acts of worship, bringing glory to God and demonstrating a heavenly rather than an earthly priority. We should never treat our “righteous acts” as if they earn us praise or a position of privilege in God’s eyes, but we should seek to sincerely perform these as acts of humble worship.
Then, in Matthew 7, Jesus turned to various aspects of judgment. When the warning was given in Matthew 7:1 not to judge, Jesus made it clear that the act of judging would bring similar judgment upon us from others. For certain, many people do not respond well to being held accountable for their actions. We should not be surprised that the world does not hold to the same value system or basis of judgment as Christians. And we should not be surprised when Christians are attacked for making their viewpoints and the righteous expectations of God known.
In the following verses, Jesus prohibited a critical, self-righteous attitude when judging. Sadly, we have a tendency to justify ourselves by judging others and to condemn in others what we condone in ourselves. In these verses, He presented the humorous image of a man with a beam in his eye trying to warn a man with a speck in his eye as a reminder that we have much for which we could be judged, and that we need to make sure we are humble and realize our own needs before ever stepping out to call attention to another’s sin. But once we know the solution for our sin problem — Jesus, of course — then we are right to turn with compassion and graciousness to the brother and help him. We are not excused to leave the brother with his speck because we do not want to offend or seem judgmental; rather, we are called to demonstrate loving judgment.
Further on in Matthew 7, we are admonished to determine the true prophets from the false by examining (thus, judging) their fruits. However, Jesus made clear that the final judgment will not be determined by one’s good works or simply by calling Him Lord, but by doing the will of the Father, which is responding to Jesus and entering a relationship where we know Him (and are known by Him), and that is reflected in hearing His words and putting them into practice.
What can we say in conclusion regarding judging others? First, take the warning of Jesus seriously and avoid an unloving, critical spirit. Christians are too often guilty of accusing, ridiculing, criticizing, gossiping and tearing down others in a hypocritical way, all with the pretense of being righteous. We need to remember our limitations, and understand that, unlike God, our judgments are often based upon superficial and unbiblical factors (John 7:24). Likewise, in Romans 2, Paul mentioned the dangers of attempting to judge, and then he reminded us that Jesus’ work on the cross made all boasting and religious pride out of place. In light of what God has done for us, forgiveness and grace should be reflected in our every interaction with others.
Second, do not ignore sin. Later in Matthew, Jesus instructed us to confront an erring brother (Matthew 18:15-17). This passage serves as the guide for proper church discipline. Likewise, Paul wrote of the necessity of dealing with sinfulness in a decisive way (1 Corinthians 5). Both Jesus and Paul demonstrated that the goal of judging, done in a biblical way, is to bring a person to repentance and facilitate forgiveness, restoration and reconciliation (Luke 17:3-4, Galatians 6:1). When we compassionately seek the best for our brother, we replicate the character of Christ, who demonstrated that you can judge and still be loving.
— Tim Tew is professor of Christian studies at Charleston Southern University.