Judge not!

I’ve been asked to comment on Mt 7:1.

1.People usually quote this out of context. They only quote Mt 7:1. But that’s part of a larger literary unit or pericope, consisting of 7:1-6. What is more, it must also be supplemented by other passages in Matthew to get a balanced picture of Jesus’ teaching.

2.In context, this passage is not a prohibition against judging others, per se. Indeed, Christians are commanded to evaluate the conduct of others, such as church discipline (18:15-20), or false teachers (7:15-20; 24:23-26).

3.Rather, the passage is dealing with the sin of hypocrisy. An incapacity for self-criticism. The sort of thing which the Pharisees were often guilty of.

We have the same balanced position in Paul. On the one hand, avoid hypocritical judgmentalism (Rom 2:1f.), but on the other hand, exercise church discipline (1 Cor 5:9-13).

4.Apropos (3), the Pharisees were also guilty of legalism. Of inventing man-made prescriptions and proscriptions, then condemning fellow Jews for failing to live up to these unscriptural scruples.

Throughout church history, the church has of succumbed to the same error.

5.Paul draws another important distinction. On the one hand, he admonishes believers to avoid worldly entanglements (2 Cor 6:14-7:1). That clearly involves a value-judgment regarding pagan morality.

On the other hand, we are to hold believers to a higher standard than unbelievers (1 Cor 5:12-13). We expect unbelievers to act like unbelievers. To some extent, that’s none of our business—except when it intrudes into the community of faith.

6.Ironically, unbelievers are hypersensitive to what Christians think of them. They accuse us of being intolerant, judgmental, self-righteous, moralistic, and so on.

For unbelievers, it’s inconceivable that you could disapprove of someone without looking down on someone. Without feeling morally superior. Better than they are.

7.Another irony is that unbelievers can be quite judgmental and intolerant of fellow unbelievers. We see this in the cult of celebrity. The scandal-mongering. The love/hate cycle.

The world has a way of turning certain people into stars, then turning against them and tearing them down. Think of Michael Jackson or Bill Clinton or Paris Hilton. Just now we see the same phenomenon with Barack Obama. Build him up, then tear him down. First they play favorites, then they go on the attack.

The world loves its own, but the world also loves to pick on certain people. You can also see this in school, with its pecking order. The boy who’s bullied by other boys. The girl who’s shunned by other girls. Pick them apart. Make their life a living hell.