What JESUS Said: About Judging Others – Part 2

We live in an era where we are encouraged to judge others and not think of it as wrong or feel badly about it. This behavior dominates social media sites where it’s easier to get away with. We feel especially safe doing it with our own social circle – friends, family and close associates who are just like us – they don’t really mean any harm to anyone. After all, we’re nice people and the folks we are judging and laughing at don’t even know it.

Nice people! It’s not a stranger posting videos that show people in embarrassing and negative ways or YouTube links of the latest church scandal. So we think it’s ok to comment and offer opinions on the lives of people and situations about which we know nothing, or are amused by comments others make.

While as believers we are not directly insulting and maligning other users’ Facebook and Instagram posts we still need to do some examination in light of who we are. Do we actually have prejudices and stereotypes that we need to look at and repent of?

Consider also the huge chunks of valuable time spent on a useless, unproductive past-time that we’ll never get back. We cannot feel empathy for people and circumstances if their lives are nothing but pure entertainment for us.

The European proverb “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” uses the term ‘glass houses’ as a figure of speech for faults or weaknesses. The proverb’s interpretation can be do not criticize others if you have similar weaknesses yourself or one who is vulnerable to criticism ought not to criticize others.

Which of us is without fault or weakness?

JESUS in Matthew 7:1-5 text is not speaking against believers judging others but against believers’ hypocrisy.

How can you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye. Matthew 7:4-5 (Luke 6:41-42)

Charles H Spurgeon’s Bible commentary of Matthew 7:1-5 says in part – “Some people are of a censorious disposition; they see nothing in others to praise, but everything to blame….at the bottom of all censoriousness lies hypocrisy. An honest man would apply to himself the judgment which he exercises upon others, but it usually happens that those who are so busy spying out other people’s faults have no time to see their own; and what is this, at the bottom, but insincerity and hypocrisy?”

Often the thing we despise in others is the thing we are ourselves most guilty of doing. You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong yourselves. Romans 2:1-3

And how does GOD respond to such hypocrisy?

A great example to draw from is the Old Testament story of King David recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:15. 

See how David responds to the wrongdoer in the parable that Nathan uses to confront him about his sin of adultery and the cover-up murder? He’s enraged and ready to mete out the harshest punishment possible. “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this should die!” David sees “the dust” in that man’s eye but not the “big piece of wood” in his own. And he dares to use the LORD’s name as validation.

GOD said about David, “he’s a man after my own heart” and GOD never stopped loving or using David even after David deliberately broke GOD’s law. 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22.

GOD is the same with us.

Once we are called child of GOD, no amount of law breaking on our part will erase the Father’s love for us (Romans 8:35-39,) or cause Him to withhold a blessing, or stop His plans for our lives from moving forward to completion.

However, because GOD loves us He does discipline us – all children are disciplined by their fathers. Hebrews 12:4-7. GOD disciplines not to punish but to reshape our character to look more like the new creations in CHRIST that we are – a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, GOD's special possession (1 Peter 2:9.) We should feel encouraged when we receive consequences for wrongdoing. 

Do  consequences always fit the sin? 

Scripture couldn’t be clearer on the consequences for judging others hypocritically while ignoring our own faults. “you will be judged. You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you.” Matthew 1:1b-2

It’s the golden rule…we always get back what we give out in equal measure – whether good or bad. (Luke 6:37-38.)

The Bible shows us that GOD’s consequences for David matches the severity of the sin. The child he conceived with Bathsheba dies and violence and betrayal plague his family for generations. “there will always be people in your family who will die by a sword.” (2 Samuel 12.)

Humans are incapable of judging the actions of others fairly because our hearts are naturally impure, but GOD who is holy and righteous can and does. “More than anything else, a person’s mind is evil and cannot be healed. Who can understand it? But I, the Lord, look into a person’s heart and test the mind. So I can decide what each one deserves; I can give each one the right payment for what he does.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

To judge is to assume a role reserved for GOD. He alone has the authority to judge others’ actions and the ability to do so with fairness. (James 4: 11-12.) And to judge unfairly is a violation of JESUS’ greatest commandment to us to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39.)

Loving this way should come naturally to those who are the children of GOD. After all, we have the Holy Spirit living in us who produces in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

GOD’s WORD says that believers must remain unstained by the world. (James 1:27). A stain on our character is a stain against the name of the one whose image we bear – an open door for non-believers to disrespect our faith. The prophet Nathan says exactly the same to David about his actions – “what you did caused the Lord’s enemies to lose all respect for Him.” 2 Samuel 12:14

If we don’t move towards changing our behavior that stain enters into our souls and our hearts become hardened.

But GOD is merciful.

To be continued….

Prayer and Thanksgiving:  Our Holy and merciful Father, forgive us for choosing to be so involved in the things of the world that we forget who we are. Remind us that we are not of this world but salt and light to bring hope to a world that’s perishing. Help us to choose to be to others what we would want for ourselves – loving and kind in thought, word and deed. Holy Spirit strengthen us to put away careless and thoughtless acts that could hurt others. We pray and ask all things in JESUS NAME. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile