“Judge not, that you be not judged.” Matthew 7:1 is something we’ve all heard. Entire religious and societal movements have been based off this simple phrase spoken by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount. It is a prominent phrase in our modern religious discourse that affects the hearts of Christians whether they’re involved in this movement or not. The idea is liberating. Having the freedom to go about life never needing to be in conflict with anybody else. The freedom that comes with the concept of ending a theological argument with, “Well, there are many ways to get to heaven. Who am I to judge yours!”
Any true student of the Bible can continue reading and find out the truth of the matter: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 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? Or how can you say to your bother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 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 7:1-5).
Jesus is speaking of hypocritical judgment. We are to help each other, and by doing that we must have some level of judgment. We cannot help our brother who is mired in sin without first acknowledging that the brother is in sin, which amounts to judging that brother.
Paul wrote, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). We are commanded to help our brothers, but to do so can create conflict. The man with his father’s wife at Corinth created a situation where the brethren were not passing judgment, and Paul rebukes them: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a king that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2).
They were tolerating the man despite his sin which appears to be very public. Paul announces that they should be in mourning. Mourning is something we want to avoid. It doesn’t feel good, and can create moods and states of being in mourners which can lead to negative thoughts and emotions contrary to God’s will. It also will create a sense of love for the sinner to see how difficult it is for the congregation to send him away until he repents.
We, like the Corinthians, have a modus operandi of avoiding pain and difficult feelings. We will explain away our sin or the sin of others in a way that does not require judging. Doing so creates a need to do something to help the brother. We even will empathize with the brother and justify the sin to avoid confrontation. This is empathetic paralysis, when we cannot do anything because we have empathized with our brother so deeply and blindly that we avoid the consequences of taking action.
Very quickly this mentality leads to a false doctrine of taking Matthew 7:1 out of context. Rather than dealing with the conflict which will arise when combatting the devil and his influence, we say, “Who am I to judge!”
Be brave, brethren! We are in spiritual warfare with the devil who is a relentless foe! Do not surrender!
Lance Byers