Judge not, that you be not judged

What follows is the third installment in my study of the Biblical teaching on judging.

Passage 2: Matthew 7:1

In this passage God tells us that whatever measure we use in judging others will be used in judging us. Therefore, we are to be careful to make sure that the plank is out of our own eye before working on the speck in our brother’s eye.

Here’s what the passage says in the NKJV: “1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4“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? 5“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

The very first words are “Judge not.” Many of us cringe when we hear someone say this because it usually means that he is trying to get away with something and doesn’t want us to tell him where he is wrong. The reason not to judge is so that we would not be judged because whatever measure we use to evaluate others is the same measure that will be used to evaluate us. At first we might conclude that that would be fair, after all we don’t do the kind of things the other person does. However we need to remember what we learned in the last passage – we who judge do the same things. It might not be the same exact thing, but it is just as sinful in God’s sight.
In this passage we also learn that it is possible to help a brother with an issue in his life, but we have to have enough sensitivity to know that we may have something that is a hindrance in our own life and this should be taken care of before we presume to be able to help another. Galatians 6:1 tells us that if our brother is overtaken in a fault, those who are spiritual should restore such a person, but with care, knowing that we may be tempted and fall in the same way. Any attempt at helping another to see the sins or faults in his life must be coupled with a thorough examination of our own life along with a large portion of humility.