Everyone judges. Not just Christians, but anyone who engages in rational thought. People assess everything in the world based on their beliefs. Then, they make important decisions based on those assessments. That’s what it means to judge. Comment on someone’s behavior, however, and you’ll be swiftly slapped with the label “judgmental.” Tell a person they’re wrong and you’ll be told “You shouldn’t judge,” or “It’s wrong to judge.” And if they know you are a follower of Christ, they’ll likely invoke Jesus’ words, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1). But making judgments is what rational beings do. In fact, notice that the statement, “You shouldn’t judge,” is itself a judgment. It’s an assessment that your behavior (of judging) is wrong. So when someone tells you that you shouldn’t judge, they are making a self-refuting statement. They’re guilty of the very thing they’ve accused you of doing – judging. Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1 are not a prohibition on judging. Nor is His statement self-refuting because He is not condemning all judgments, only hypocritical ones (of which His is not). The context of Matthew 7:1, which is often left out of the quote, says, “Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is 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 brothers eye.” Although the New Testament condemns hypocritical judgments, it commands us to make two other kinds of judgments. The first kind is judicial. This type of judging is intended to pass sentence, as in church discipline (John 18:15-20). The second kind of judgment is a factual assessment. It is an appraisal of what is wise or unwise, rational or irrational, and moral or immoral (1 Corinthians 5:1-2). Not only is this type of judgment commanded, but it’s something people practice every day. In order to survive in our world, people must make judgments daily. Remember, in every conversation, you are an ambassador of Jesus – you represent Him. Your manner should be kind, gracious, and inviting. You want to stimulate conversation, not dampen it.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 12:57:53 +0000
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