Judge Not

It has become the best known Bible verse anywhere. "Judge not." Never mind that it's not quite a verse; it's just a piece of one. Never mind that the text does not allow the intent that most people seem to have for it. It's not about not judging, but about not judging others before you judge yourself. Never mind that they've got it all wrong. It's still perhaps the best known and the most loved, even among unbelievers because, after all, you can use it to shut up people who have opinions about sin.

Have you ever thought about what's going on there? When someone says, "Don't judge me!", what are they saying? Well, we can eliminate some possibilities right off the bat. They're not saying, "Thanks so much for the helpful input." They're also not saying, "I agree with you that it's wrong." That's not an admission on the table. They're also not saying, "You're wrong." Oh, they might be suggesting you're wrong for saying anything, but they're not saying that you're wrong about your suggestion that such and such is wrong or right to do. Because, you see, if that was in view, they'd say it. And hopefully tell you why. They don't.

What are they saying, then, when they tell you, "Don't judge me!"? They're saying, "It may be wrong, but I'll do it anyway." Otherwise it would be, "Thanks! I'm wrong and I'll fix it." Or "I'm right and here's why." No, they use "Judge not" as an excuse to continue doing what I suspect they already know is wrong. And I'm quite certain that's not what Jesus meant when He said it.