DON’T JUDGE

"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

Perhaps no other Bible passage is used as often or applied so out of context than Matthew 7:1-3, 5.

Jesus does not command us not to judge, in fact there are several Bible passages to the contrary. Ethics will always involve the judgment of behavior. What the passage says is that we should not be judging the whole of a person, because that is clearly beyond our scope of understanding. Similarly, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7) does not mean that the punishment of ethical misconduct is restricted to the pure of heart. That would negate accountability and responsibility both. But there is a difference between disapproving of adultery and stoning someone for it.

“Judge not” simply means that we must not judge the whole person and that we have to accept the same standards applied to ourselves.

So the next time you are accused of being judgmental simply ask “Is it your judgment that I am wrong for judging?”