Anchor My Faith

Judging and Condemning Others

Scripture: Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:37, 41-42

The next topic Jesus addresses is about judging and condemning others: ^{Lk 6:37} “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. ^{Mt 7:2a} For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged.”

If, in our daily walk, we continually judge or condemn others, we are to stop. This does not rule out the legitimate use of discernment, church discipline, and law courts. Jesus is admonishing his listeners to discontinue their tendency to criticize and find fault with others. If we continue in this practice, then we will be judged and condemned by God. If there is any injustice, that is God’s responsibility, not ours as we personally have not been given that responsibility. If we have been wronged, we are to forgive and God will forgive us.

Again Jesus is raising the standard and asking us to go beyond not judging and not condemning to seek the positive well-being of others. To judge and condemn is to restrict or desire something we disapprove of to stop, but to forgive implies that we see a possible problem and we want to help the person in their growth process. It is easy to judge the negative, but so much harder to focus on and built up the positive, but that is what Jesus is asking of us.

If we set a standard of conduct, we deem appropriate, and others don’t live up to our standard and we continue to judge them for it then God will use that standard of conduct to judge us and he is sure to find us guilty. This point is stresses in what Jesus says next: ^{Lk 6:41} “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? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

We are all sinners and continue to do things that irritate others. Before we point out how others irritate us, we need to stop and think about how we might be bothering or evening hurting others. As we humble ourselves and consider what we do or say that is not seasoned with salt and make appropriate adjustments, then we are qualified to be the light to help them overcome something that is currently besetting them.

Prayer

Father, our sin nature tends to judge and condemn others, but we need to love and forgive and consider how we can be of help to those who need to mature as we also do. Father, help us mature and as we do, guide us to help others mature so that the church would also grow.