Devotion: Matthew 7:1

Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” 

To judge or not to judge, that seems to be the question we are going to ask every day. Day one we said no judging, day two and three it was okay to judge (so long as we are judging for the sake of correction and righteousness, not condemnation). And then we come to day four and see once again a simple, straightforward no-nonsense, no-fuss sentence that clearly says do not judge. What are we to do? Or not do? Let’s see what we can learn.

Let’s start by taking a few moments to read the context from which this verse was drawn. NEVER take a verse by itself and think you know what it means. Always pause and read the context – either the full chapter from which it is drawn or at least a few paragraphs before and a few after.

This verse is part of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, a teaching in which we learn a LOT about how we are to live and interact with others. And apparently, He wanted to include judgement in that famous sermon He preached. The verse in question commands followers to be aware of their own sins and struggles before trying to correct others (remove the plank from our own eye before we try to remove the speck from our brethren’s eye – Matthew 7:5). It is a reminder to avoid acting with an attitude of superiority, something that Pharisees were good at indulging in.

The teaching of Jesus reminds us that however we judge another, that same standard will be used to judge us. Instead, He encourages that there be compassion for others, not condemnation.

Let’s check our word study now to see if it clarifies things any further. Though they spoke Hebrew, the book of Matthew was written in Greek. In this passage we see the Greek word krino used which is defined as to separate, decide, or evaluate. It is the same form often used for the word judge throughout the New Testament. We see two forms of krino used in this verse – krinete (do not judge) and krithete (be judged)

But in today’s verse, we rely on the context as well. Jesus is teaching us that we are not to be condemning of others. We are not to be passing judgement that is unfavorable or judgemental on others. We are not here to judge in that manner. He alone is worthy to pass judgement of that nature on people, as we learned in James 4:12.

Jesus clearly taught against judging others with condemnation and superiority. Instead, we are encouraged to love others (Romans 12:10), to show compassion, and to provide for those in need – all of which cannot be done if we are too busy throwing stones at people. Do you have a plank in your eye obstructing your view (Matthew 7:5)? Let’s focus on removing the log from our own eye before we think of trying to condemn someone for the speck in their own.

Prayer: Lord, Help me to focus on my own sin and repentance instead of the sins of others. Let me love them first without judging and condemning them for their faults. Amen

You might also like this:

Devotion: Psalm 141:2 Devotion: Psalm 16:9 Devotion: James 4:10