Judge not, lest ye be judged
Ah, that famous verse from Matthew 7:1.. as popularized by bumper stickers and T-shirts all over. For years I struggled with that verse.. are we to judge or not judge? If I see a brother or sister persisting in sin, do I confront or do I overlook? Because.. "Judge not, lest ye be judged." And yet it just feels "wrong" to not confront the person in sin. It also seems contrary to the rest of Scripture, which exhorts us to build one another up, which I'm sure involves accountability and pointing out sin in each others' lives.
Recently, while reading a book ("Questioning Evangelism" by Randy Newman), I learned the full context of the verse for the first time. Like many "popular" verses, the verse itself is not meant to be taken in isolation. To understand the context, we need to read the whole passage:
"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 brother, '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)
I have read that passage many times, yet I always stop at the part that says "first take the log out of your own eye." I somehow always miss the importance of "then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Jesus is warning us here not to be hypocrites. If we want to point out someone else's sin, we should really examine ourselves first. Are we practising the same sin? Are we involved in some other sin that is equally or more serious? Is our life generally reflective of Jesus, or is it one of persistence in sin ourselves?
After that humble self-examination, and repenting of any sins ourselves, then it would be appropriate to gently "take the speck out of your brother's eye."
So Matthew 7:1-5 is a warning about hypocrisy. We still need to be as careful as ever. Sin is sneaky. If the apostle Paul can say "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19), how much more do we need to examine ourselves and ask others for input about whether we are hypocrites ourselves?
I still have so much more to learn.
Recently, while reading a book ("Questioning Evangelism" by Randy Newman), I learned the full context of the verse for the first time. Like many "popular" verses, the verse itself is not meant to be taken in isolation. To understand the context, we need to read the whole passage:
"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 brother, '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)
I have read that passage many times, yet I always stop at the part that says "first take the log out of your own eye." I somehow always miss the importance of "then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Jesus is warning us here not to be hypocrites. If we want to point out someone else's sin, we should really examine ourselves first. Are we practising the same sin? Are we involved in some other sin that is equally or more serious? Is our life generally reflective of Jesus, or is it one of persistence in sin ourselves?
After that humble self-examination, and repenting of any sins ourselves, then it would be appropriate to gently "take the speck out of your brother's eye."
So Matthew 7:1-5 is a warning about hypocrisy. We still need to be as careful as ever. Sin is sneaky. If the apostle Paul can say "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19), how much more do we need to examine ourselves and ask others for input about whether we are hypocrites ourselves?
I still have so much more to learn.
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