Hard Sayings - "Judge Not"

There is perhaps no more widely known Bible verse in all of America, Christians and not, than this one. "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matt. 7:1). Non-Christians like to throw that in the face of Christians who are "too judgmental" and "not tolerant enough". Christians like to throw it in the face of Christians who may be stepping on their own toes, or who may be questioning someone else's behavior. It's plain. It's clear. It's unequivocal. "Judge not." Clearly, Christ commanded that Christians don't judge others.

Did He? It would appear that Jesus did it with regularity. He told the woman "caught in adultery", "Go and sin no more." (That's "You've been sinning up until now; stop it.") He certainly cut the Pharisees no slack. Regardless of one's viewpoint, calling people "white-washed sepulchers" cannot be construed as less than judgmental. Paul also disagreed with the "judge not" concept. In his well-known passage about believers going to court against believers he says, "When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?" (1 Cor. 6:1-2). John says, "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin ..." (1 John 5:16), an impossibility if we aren't "judging". James says, "If anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20). That's not possible if we aren't allowed to judge ... to determine whether or not someone is right or wrong ... to decide if someone is sinning or not. So it would appear that we have a contradiction. Did Jesus command us not to judge, or are we misunderstanding something?

Let's look again at Jesus's words:

"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" (Matt. 7:1-5).

Note, quickly, one important point. Jesus says, "... then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." That's judgment. You are to detect the "speck" in your brother's eye and assist him in removing it. So, either Jesus contradicts Himself when He says, "Judge not", or the standard "face value" isn't working here.

I think it only takes the context of the statement to see the thought involved. To read it as "judge not" is doing it a disservice. There isn't a period at the end of the statement; there is a comma. "Judge not" is not the end of the thought. What, then, is in mind? I suppose it's best to look at what else is said to illustrate what He was trying to say. "First take the log out of your own eye." That's the idea. The idea is not "Never notice the sin in someone else's life", but rather "Be sure that you are judging yourself above all others." Jesus says here, "With the measure you use it will be measured to you." So, if you see someone that you think is guilty of, say, lusting, are you guilty of lusting? Have you remedied it in your life yet? If a woman thinks that husband isn't being what God requires, is she being what God requires of wives? Further, what is your motivation? Is it your intent to point out faults in another, or is it your intent to assist? Motive makes a difference.

Christians are constantly being told by non-Christians and Christians alike, "Judge not!!!" We, on the other hand, have a command from God to assist people who are in sin. We must do so with great care, testing ourselves before others, and only with the motivation of love. But we must do so. To take this passage at face value, cutting off the sentence in midstream, is to ignore the truth, and we dare not do that.