Don’t Judge Me

We are continuing to go through the book of Matthew, The first book in the new testament. We started in chapter 1 back in October of last year. Now we are starting chapter 7 today. There is so much truth, wisdom, and instruction in every verse of the Bible. It’s important to take our time and digest everything in the word of God. We don’t want to rush through, we want to savor each word.

Starting in Chapter 7, we have one of the most famous verses in the Bible. Not only is it widely known, but it’s also one of the most misquoted and taken out of context verses in the Word of God.

It’s also a verse that is widely used by people that don’t even believe in God or the Bible.

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

People love to use this all the time. They say…
“Judge Not”,
“Don’t Judge Me”
“The Bible says you’re not supposed to Judge”
“Only God can judge me”

For example, Someone could be drinking alcohol, and another person might come up to them and say, “You shouldn’t be drinking that” Then the person might say something like, “Don’t Judge me, the Bible says don’t judge!”.

Another example, Someone could be wearing immodest and inappropriate clothing and another person could come up to them and say, “Could you please cover yourself up or change into something more appropriate?” Their reaction might be “Don’t judge me! This is my body and I can do whatever I want. Don’t you know the Bible says JUDGE NOT!”

To be honest, the people that usually quote this verse are usually convicted that what they are doing is wrong, but they get very defensive and try to use this verse to justify their actions.

The question is, is this verse actually telling us that we should never judge anyone or anything at any time? I want to look at this in detail so we can have the right perspective when it comes to judging others.

Understanding Judgment

First and foremost, what exactly does it mean to judge, or to pass judgement on something or someone? Judge: Verb: to form an opinion through careful weighing of evidence and testing; to compare facts or ideas; distinguishing truth from falsehood.

Example: Let’s say a man or woman is charged with shoplifting.  After reviewing evidence, listening to witnesses, and ensuring both sides are heard, a judge rules fairly based on the law, and makes a decision or judgement to declare them guilty or not guilty and to hand down an appropriate sentence or punishment.

Judging comes down to determining whether something is true or false, good or bad, right or wrong.
When you judge a person, you form an opinion and come to a conclusion about that individual’s behavior, character, motives, or actions. You are deciding if what that person is doing is right or wrong.

Now that we have that basic understanding of what judging is, let’s go back to Matthew 7

Matthew 7:1-2 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

What this is saying is that whatever standard you judge people by, you will be judged by that same standard. If you are someone that likes to point out peoples flaws, or call people out for sin or wrong doing in their life, you better be prepared to be judged by the same standard that you are holding others to.  

Romans 2:1-3 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

When you judge someone for doing wrong while in the meantime you are doing the same things that you are judging that person for, understand that you are condemning yourself.

Mt 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 7:3-4 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

The word mote refers to a small particle or speck. Imagine someone examining another person with a magnifying glass, looking for flaws, and scrutinizing every little thing in that person’s life,
While you yourself have glaring sin and other problems in your own life.

This is unrighteous judgment. When you call someone out or point out their sin but you are doing the same or worse sins in your life. That’s hypocrisy, and God despises that. This is what Jesus is warning us about in the beginning of Matthew 7.

Jesus is not teaching us to never judge anyone ever. Jesus is warning us to not judge unrighteously as a hypocrite.

Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

We are called to examine ourselves before we examine others. Before you speak to anyone about sin in their life, make sure you take the beam out of your own eye so you can see clearly to cast out the speck in your brother’s eye.

Unrighteous Judgement

I want to give you a few real-world examples of unrighteous judgement and hypocrisy…
Think about these scenarios…

1. The Harsh Parent

A parent that constantly scolds their children for being disrespectful and demands obedience and honor. But at home they speak nasty to their spouse, mocks others, and has no patience.
The same standard that they apply to their children, God applies that standard to them.
“what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged”

2. The Hypocritical Friend

A person calls out their friend for lying, saying, “I can’t stand dishonest people!” But later, they lie on their taxes or twist the truth in a conversation.
They judged harshly for dishonesty, but they themselves are dishonest.

3. The Legalistic Christian

Someone who walks around talking bad about other Christian’s lives, appearance, or lifestyle. They have a standard of perfection for others, but they ignore their own spiritual pride, lack of love, and hidden sin.
God will apply that same perfectionist standard to them.

4. The Two-Faced Pastor

A pastor that preaches holiness, separation from the world, and preaches hard against sin behind the pulpit, calling out people by name. But at home curses at and abuses his wife and kids and talks trash about other saved Christians on social media.

A pastor that accuses others of slandering and causing division, while they themselves are slandering, lying and causing true division from behind the pulpit.

These kinds of situations happen a lot. And we can find ourselves doing these things if we are not careful.

Now let’s look at a couple biblical examples of unrighteous judgement.

Luke 13:11-17 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

When this Pharisee saw that Jesus healed this lady of her infirmity, he was immediately envious and judged the people for seeking to be healed on the sabbath day.
Jesus calls out their hypocrisy because they themselves were doing actual work on the sabbath by feeding and watering their animals.

John 8:1-9 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Again Jesus calls out the hypocrisy of the pharisees. There is a good chance that many of them had committed adultery themselves, yet they were very quick to point out the sins of other people.

John 7:22-24 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Contrary to what many people think. God does want us to judge, but He wants us to judge righteous judgement. Not judging according to the appearance. It’s not our job to go policing in other people’s lives. Righteous judgement comes from God’s Wisdom and from His Word.

Righteous Judgement

1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee…

1 Kings 3:9-13 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Soloman desired wisdom to be able to discern good and bad and to be able to judge the people righteously before God. We need to have that same desire for our own lives.

Judging righteously is not about condemning and shaming others.  Righteous judgement comes from a heart of humility. A heart that always examines itself first. And a heart that desires to see restoration not punishment and humiliation.

Zechariah 7:8-12 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, 9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

True judgement involves mercy and compassion. True judgement uses the word of God, not your personal opinion. We should always be seeking to restore and help our brothers and sisters in Christ. Not tearing them down.

Galatians 6:1-5 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

In order to restore someone who is overtaken in a fault, we must judge righteously in meekness. We must consider ourselves first lest we also be temped and fall.
This matches up perfectly with Matthew 7:5

Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

If a fellow believer is living in rebellious sin and chooses to continue to disobey God’s word, We are to not keep company with them. We judge righteously based on the Bible, but we don’t treat them as our enemy. We admonish them as a brother or sister. We want to restore that relationship.

Leviticus 19:15-18 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. 16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Righteous judgement always involves love for others. Notice in verse 17…

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

The phrase “shalt in any wise rebuke” means that you should surely rebuke your neighbor. It’s not loving to stay silent.  Why? Because we don’t want them to continue in sin and destroy themselves.

This is righteous judgement when we allow the word of God to be the judge. God has already condemned sin. It’s our job to speak the truth in Love after we’ve examined ourselves and have dealt with sin in our own life.

Matthew 7:5-6 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Don’t Cast Your Pearls Before Swine

Once we remove that beam from our own eye and we are in a position to help someone else, we still need to use discernment. Not everyone is ready to receive correction. Not everyone wants to hear the truth.

In verse 6 Jesus says not to give that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine.
What this means is that you should not waste your time rebuking or correcting those who do not want to receive instruction.

Proverbs 9:7-8 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. 8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

A scorner is someone that openly disrespects and mocks.

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Acts 13:45-46 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

Jesus wants us to have discernment when it comes to righteous judgement. Sometimes we have to move on from certain individuals that do not want to hear the Word of God. But we will continue to love them and pray for them.

Quick Recap

So far from this passage, we have learned…

1. When we judge someone, we will be judged by the same standard. (Mt 7:2)

2. Examine yourself before you examine others. Don’t play the hypocrite. (Mt 7:3-4)

3. After self-examination, judge righteously using God’s Word alone. (Mt 7:5)

4. Use discernment before you rebuke and correct. Don’t cast your pearls before swine. (Mt 7:6)

The Ultimate Judge

In our society, we have judges at many levels who are responsible for making decisions. We have local judges that rule on criminal and civil matters. And we have higher courts, like the supreme court with judges that interpret the law and settle major disputes that can affect the entire nation.

But ultimately there is one judge that rules over everything and everyone in this earth. And that judge is God.

Psalm 75:7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

God has power and authority over everything. He is the Creator. His decisions are final. When He says something, it will come to pass.

2 Chronicles 19:6-7 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

There is no evil in God. There are many judges today that can be bought with money and bribes. God is swayed by no man. He will always judge in righteousness.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Remember not only does God see and hear everything, He also knows your thoughts and the intents of your heart. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be judged by the things that I have done in my life. That’s why we need to believe on Jesus Christ and receive His righteousness.

Psalm 9:7-8 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

You can receive good judgement from God simply by putting all your trust on Him. He paid it all for you. You don’t want to pay it on your own.

Closing Thoughts

We can see that Matthew 7:1 is taken out of context all the time.

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

People use this verse to justify their sin, but what they fail to realize is that this verse is calling us to judge with righteous judgment. Not judging based on our opinion, but with the Word of God in meekness and fear. — We must examine ourselves before we speak into other people’s lives.
Remove the beam out of your own eye before you try to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Righteous Judgement involves love, mercy, and truth. And if someone is trying to give you instruction and truth from God’s word. We don’t want to be like the fool that will not receive correction.

Let’s be people who speak truth in love, who restore in meekness, who judge carefully and humbly — always remembering that God is the final Judge. Let’s Pray.