The Danger of Judging Others

I firmly believe that one of the hardest teachings of Jesus is found in Matthew 7:1-6. Jesus teaches in these verses that Christians who are forgiven much are not to engage in judging others. The reason Jesus gives for avoiding judging others is powerful—He says that we can avoid being judged by the same standard we carelessly use on others. Ouch! I know that if I have a choice between receiving judgment and forgiveness, I will always choose forgiveness. What this tells me is that I’m often too harsh on others and far too easy on myself. I am quick to see and even point out someone else’s sin in a judgmental way while overlooking things in myself that I should be dealing with. After all, it’s so much easier to see another’s sin than to see my own, and I’m afraid that it’s far more satisfying to my flesh to point that sin out than it is to deal with my own issues. Jesus points out to His disciples in Matthew 7:3-4 that people tend to quickly see even small things in others’ lives while avoiding the huge things looming over their own. The danger of habitually judging others is clear; we become hypocrites who have no witness, and even worse, we become people who drive others away from the One to whom we should be drawing them. Fortunately, Jesus doesn’t leave us without a clear solution to this problem. He tells us to deal with the stuff in our own lives, which will then enable us to “see clearly to take the speck out of [our] brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:5, NASB). Our job is to encourage and build up one another—not to tear each other down. I know I don’t like to feel beaten down by someone when I’m already aware that I’m struggling. What I really need is help, not condemnation. I saw this being lived out today in the lives of two friends, and it’s not pretty. Seeing the problems that occur when we choose to judge and ignore our own sins renewed my determination to allow God to continue working on the part of my life that is ugly—the “logs” Jesus spoke of to His disciples. It also renewed my awareness of what happens when I choose to judge instead of love. God’s big enough and powerful enough and has all the right to judge others, but I don’t; sometimes I just need reminding of the extent of my unworthiness to judge anyone when I’ve been forgiven so much.