Do not judge or you will be judged in the same manner.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5).

Judge not, that you be not judged: With this command Jesus warned against passing judgment upon others, because when we do so we will be judged in a similar manner.
Most people who quote this verse don’t understand what Jesus said. They seem to think (or hope) that Jesus commanded a universal acceptance of any lifestyle or teaching. There are things that can never be considered acceptable, but before we critize others, we must make sure that we are not doing those things ourselves.

So while this does not completely prohibit examining the lives of others, it certainly prohibits doing in the spirit it is often done. An example of unjust judgment was the disciples’ condemnation of the woman who came to anoint the feet of Jesus with oil (Matthew 26:6-13). They thought she was wasting something; Jesus said she had done a good thing that would always be remembered. They had a rash, harsh, unjust judgment of her.

1. We break this command when we think the worst of others.
2. We break this command when we only speak to others of their faults.
3. We break this command when we judge an entire life only by its worst moments.
4. We break this command when we judge the hidden motives of others.
5. We break this command when we judge others without considering ourselves in their same circumstances.
6. We break this command when we judge others without being mindful that we ourselves will be judged.

When our judgment in regard to others is wrong, it is often not because we judge according to a standard but because we are hypocritical in the application of that standard. We ignore the standard in our own life. It is common to judge others by one standard and ourselves by another standard, being far more generous to ourselves than others.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? The figures of a speck and a plank are real figures, yet used humorously. Jesus shows how we are generally far more tolerant to our own sin than we are to the sin of others.
Jesus is gentle, but he calls a person a ‘hypocrite’ who fusses about small things in others, and pays no attention to great matters at home in his/her own person.
Jesus didn’t say that it was wrong for us to help others with the specks in their eyes. It is a good thing to help others, but not before dealing with our own very large issues.
I hope that Jesus will be kinder to me when it comes time to look back at the issues of my live, than I have often been in dealing with others.

Peace and Love,

Sue


"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10)