Lesson One: Judge Not? What A Famous Saying!
Devotion #1: Examine Yourself First
Patrick Bicknell
Have you ever heard someone call Christians judgmental? Have you ever heard someone call us, followers of Christ, hypocritical because we judge others to a standard we do not hold to our own selves?
I have heard this story so many times. I have experienced this with new people who have come to the church, and I can tell you that there is real hurt with people who have gone through this. It makes me sad that not only do people think that Christians are judgmental, but there are people in the church who give validity to these claims by the way they judge other people.
The topic of “judging others” is a hard one for us to navigate because oftentimes, people judge others in the wrong way. They do it in a way that Christ has not commanded us to do. As we continue reading and studying through the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus address this topic at the beginning of chapter 7.
The first thing Jesus does is tell us to examine ourselves. He uses the phrase, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” in verse 1. It is clear to note that although it may seem like Jesus is condemning any form of judgment, He is actually not in this verse. Many people have an interpretation of this verse that aligns with that belief. However, what Jesus is condemning is the hypocritical judgment that so many people do. It is the form of judgment that holds others to a higher standard than they do themselves. Jesus condemns the people who scorn others for the sins they commit while ignoring the sins they have in their lives. We see Him address this when He says a few verses later in verse 3, “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?” Jesus Himself calls people who act in this way, hypocrites. He then finishes speaking on this topic in verse 5 by saying, “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.” Jesus reminds us that in order for us to truly help out our brothers and sisters in Christ, we first need to check our own relationship with the Lord. If we are stuck in sin, refusing to repent and not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, how can we expect to actually help someone else out?
When we judge others in a healthy way, after first examining our own lives and making sure we repent of our own struggles, then we can clearly see how to help our brothers and sisters not only acknowledge their sins, but also help them overcome those struggles.