Who Am I To Judge?

Who Am I to Judge?

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Matthew 7:1-2

How can you think of saying to your friend, “Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,” when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Matthew 7:4-5

It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

1 Corinthians 4:4

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.” These are some of the most well-known but also misunderstood and misapplied words Jesus ever spoke. What did Jesus mean when he said not to judge? Was he suggesting a “mind your own business” policy for those who follow him?

When Jesus said, “Do not judge others,” he wasn’t saying we should never label something in another person’s life as sin. He wasn’t saying we shouldn’t care about what other people do or what they believe.

Jesus was talking about having a condemning attitude toward others while refusing to see our own faults in light of God’s standards. He was talking about an attitude that shows no mercy to someone who has done wrong—an attitude that finds pleasure in criticizing the person rather than in extending mercy and compassion. The way we think and speak about someone who sins or fails in some way reveals how much we’ve truly experienced God’s grace ourselves.

Jesus says that instead of being quick to judge others, we need to examine ourselves. He says, “Get rid of the log in your own eye.” How do we do that? Careful self-examination. We fully repent of our own sins. Then we seek to have a broken heart over the sin of others.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What does it mean to judge another person?

On what basis can we label something as sinful or wrong in another person’s life? How and when should we express that to the person?

What does it feel like to be judged by another person?