Judging Others is a Slippery Slope

“Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ 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? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Matthew 7

This passage may be one of the most misunderstood texts in the Bible. You frequently hear people that are caught in adultery, or some other sin, try to use this passage to defend themselves.  Going to the other extreme, many judgmental and legalistic Christians pretend it does not exist.

Jesus is not saying that we can’t call sin “sin”. He is not saying that we cannot hold others accountable for their sin. That view point would pretty much contradict the entire Bible. Galatians 6 instructs us that we are to even to go those stuck in sin and try to gently restore them. (Gal 6:1)

So what is this passage teaching about judging others?  Let’s look at three things Jesus instructs us on when it comes to judging others:

1.      Take care of your own relationship with God. “First take the log out of your own eye.” No one ever commits their lives to Christ without having many areas in  which they need to grow. The top priority for all disciples of Jesus is to examine their own lives in light of scripture, and then change as necessary to conform their lives to Christ.

2.      Avoid hypocrisy.  The most judgmental Christians are often the ones that are stuck in perpetual immaturity. They have confessed Christ for years but don’t have much to show for it. These people often like to find flaws in others to make themselves feel better about their own relationship, or lack thereof, with Christ.  

3.      If you are to judge, remember that the same standard of judgment you use on others is going to be applied to you. That means if you judge someone by external appearances, for example, you are going to have to stand next to that same measuring stick. If you judge the inside by the outside, then you will be measured in the same way.

Judgment is a slippery slope, and it is hard to engage in it without taking a fall yourself.  Going outside of what is obvious sin and judging by external appearance is bound to come back to you.