Carlton G. McPeak
Guest Columnist
Jesus shifts topics in His sermon from teaching about our priorities to teaching about how we judge people. Jesus is not saying we should not judge other people, but rather He is pointing out that we need to judge ourselves before we judge others (Matthew 7:1-5).
Many use this passage to say that one person should not “judge” another person. They emphasize the first three words, “do not judge,” but then ignore the remainder of the verse and the context of the following verses.
The word “judge” in the original language (and ours also) is an action word, meaning the reader is to do something. The statements in verse two expound upon what is said in verse one; the first, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged,” and the second, “By your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” The first part emphasizes our method and attitude, while the second part emphasizes the standard which will be used to judge us.
If Jesus were saying it is wrong for us to “judge” others, then it would be inappropriate for Him to talk about the speck and the log. However, if Jesus is talking about our method, attitude and standard when we are judging others, then it is very appropriate. He is saying we must be “judging” ourselves before we judge others. Jesus does not want to call us a hypocrite. He wants us to make sure we are taking care of the “log” sins in our lives before we begin to judge others about their “speck” sins in their life.
Every person, and especially Christians, must remember it is impossible for us to not “form a conclusion or opinion about” a person or subject. Even when someone reads this article, they are coming to a conclusion or opinion. Even if they were to say, “I have no conclusion or opinion about this article,” they have made a decision about the article.
When making decisions about people or things, we must remember that God will judge us by the standard we are judging other people. Keeping this thought in mind should cause us to be less judgmental about the microscopic sins in the lives of others. It might cause us to be more gentle and humble when we are talking to them about their sin.
We must have the goal (for others and ourselves) that we want both of us to be righteous before God and go to heaven. Let us remember to start with ourselves first before we approach others. By following this reminder, we will be practicing what Jesus taught and will be living God’s way.
Carlton G. McPeak (carlton_mc@msn.com)
is an evangelist working in the Florida Gateway region.
Scriptural quotations from the NASB.