judgeing

you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

—Matthew 7:1–6

Respect for others is an indication of one’s own self-understanding. The awareness of the complexity of our own lives and the limitations of our own nature should help us to be more considerate and understanding of others. This does not mean that, by an attitude of acceptance toward others, we are thereby endorsing their practice. But we can be discerning without being judgmental. The approach of love is to use personal power or privilege to benefit another. And the sanctity of service is realized only as we serve another in the way which that person wishes to be served, else, in serving in the way we wish to serve them, we are actually determining or controlling their lifestyle. In fellowship with another we affirm the worth of the other personality without copying or subscribing to his total life pattern. Hence, to build the community of the kingdom, Jesus asks His disciples to avoid censoriousness, to avoid prejudgment or prejudice, to refrain from stereotyping persons which thereby limits their possibilities for fulfillment.

The old adage says, “Do not judge your neighbor until you have walked in his shoes.” This is a valid statement as far as it goes. But Jesus extends the statement to simply say, “Don’t judge.” Judgment is actually an ego trip. We usually judge others to make ourselves feel better. One who develops a judgmental attitude estranges himself from others, hinders the spirit of fellowship and creates a reaction of judgment in return. In verse 2 the words “measured back to you” are literally, “added to you.” The word “added” is from the same Greek word as used in 6:33. Having just spoken about our not being anxious about things, this passage, in context, focuses on the temptation to be envious of those who have “things” which we may desire. It condemns the ease with which we become judgmental of successful persons.

The very interesting illustration in verses 3 to 5 also reveals something of Jesus’ humor. Although we never read of Jesus laughing, it is impossible to think that One whose joy in life was so complete did not laugh freely with His disciples. But there are indications of His humor in various statements, such as the picture of a person with a beam in his eye trying to pick a speck of sawdust out of his brother’s eye. Recall also Jesus’ words when told that Herod was asking about Him: “Go tell that fox… .” Or again, when He described scribes and Pharisees as straining a gnat out of their tea but swallowing a camel—head, tail, and all! The illustration in this passage shows how ridiculous it is for us to judge others and fail to judge ourselves honestly.

There are numerous reasons why we should refrain from judging others. In the first place, we only know in part and never fully understand all of the issues involved or the motives of the person. Second, we cannot be completely impartial, for we have emotional identifications that are often subconscious which affect our judgment and make us critique others at the feeling level. Third, only God is competent to judge another in His holiness and understanding. Thus James writes, “Who are you to judge another?” (4:12). However, verse 5 does not leave us to escape the discernment that will help another. We are to first judge ourselves and find the correction which God’s grace can achieve, then we will be able to take the speck out of the brother’s eye. The refusal to be judgmental does not mean a refusal to be helpful. But helping one’s brother at his point of need must be done with a spirit of grace and understanding.

The word-pictures in verse 6 are not easy to interpret. They evidently mean that we should not handle the pearls of the gospel carelessly or present truths of grace to persons who will only seek to destroy them. Both dogs and swine, considered unclean in the culture which Jesus shared, were symbols of negation. Furthermore, the Jewish community regarded the Gentiles as dogs and acted condescendingly toward them. But the early church used this verse to mean discrimination in the fellowship with respect to pseudobelievers and followers of the various religions of the Roman Empire. The Didache, the first book of the Christian church on “service order” from around a.d. 100, includes this statement, “Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptized into the name of the Lord, for, as regards this, the Lord has said, ‘Give not that which is holy unto dogs.’” Basically the passage is a call for discernment in relating to others.

The passage offers a balance for the teaching against judging. One who works for peace, who is a peacemaker, will use discretion in relating to persons. Further, in preaching or sharing the gospel we should use discrimination as to what to share and how much to share, depending upon the attitude and receptivity of the hearers. An overexposure of sacred things to persons unprepared to receive them can create an adverse reaction.

¹

JUDGMENT OF OTHERS FORBIDDEN

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again [Matt. 7:1–2].

These verses have really been misunderstood. To judge can mean “to decide, to distinguish, to condemn, to avenge,” and it actually can mean “to damn.” These verses do not mean that a child of God is forbidden to judge others, but it does mean that we are not to judge the inward motives of others in the sense of condemning them. We do not know or understand why a brother in Christ does a certain thing. We see only outward acts. God doesn’t forbid our judging wrong and evil actions, as we will see. The point is that if you are harsh in your judgments of others, you will be known as the type of person who is severe in his considerations of others. I know this type of person, and I am sure you do, also. Perhaps somebody has said to you, “Don’t pay any attention to what he says; he never has a good word to say.” You see, he is being judged by the way he judges. This is what our Lord is saying in these verses.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? [Matt. 7:3].

He is comparing a little piece of sawdust in your brother’s eye to the great big redwood log in your own eye. The “log” is the spirit of criticism and prejudice. With that blocking your vision, you are in no position to judge the little sin of another.

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?

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 [Matt. 7:4–5].

This matter of harsh judgment is certainly something about which we need to be very careful. Although Jesus makes it clear that we are not to sit in harsh judgment upon another, He also said that by their fruits we would know them. The late Dr. James McGinley put it in his rather unique fashion, “I am no judge, but I am a fruit inspector.” And we can really tell whether or not a Christian is producing fruit.

JUDGMENT OF OTHERS ENJOINED

Now He really puts us on the horns of a dilemma.

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 [Matt. 7:6].

We have to determine who the dogs are and who the pigs are, don’t we? These are not four–legged animals He is talking about. We are not to give that which is holy unto dogs or cast our pearls before swine; therefore, there is a judgment that we need to make.

There are certain times and places where it is not worthwhile to say a word. This is a judgment you need to make. I remember a Tennessee legislator friend of mine who was a heavy drinker. He was wonderfully converted and is a choice servant of God today. The other members of the legislature knew how he drank. Then they heard he “got religion,” as they called it. One day this fellow took his seat in the legislature, and his fellow–members looked him over. Finally, someone rose, addressed the chairman of the meeting, and said, “I make a motion that we hear a sermon from Deacon So–and–So.” Everyone laughed. But my friend was equal to the occasion. He got to his feet and said, “I’m sorry, I do not have anything to say. My Lord told me not to cast my pearls before swine.” He sat down, and they never ridiculed him anymore.

A police inspector in the city of New York told me about certain apartments which were filled with no one but homosexuals. He told me, “They know I’m a Christian, and when they are brought into the station, they say to me ‘Preach us a sermon!’ But I never cast my pearls before swine.” He looked at me and said, “I guess you think I’m a little hard–boiled, but I was a flatfoot in that area, and I know those folk. I worked with them for years.”

May I say to you, there are swine and there are dogs in our society. What are we to do? Jesus tells us that we are not to judge, and then He tells us we are to judge. Well, He tells us in the next verse what we are to d²

The first principle of judgment is that we begin with ourselves. Jesus did not forbid us to judge others, for careful discrimination is essential in the Christian life. Christian love is not blind (Phil. 1:9–10). The person who believes all that he hears, and accepts everyone who claims to be spiritual will experience confusion and great spiritual loss. But before we judge others, we must judge ourselves. There are several reasons for this.

We shall be judged (v. 1). The tense of the verb judged signifies a once-for-all final judgment. If we first judge ourselves, then we are preparing for that final judgment when we face God. The Pharisees “played God” as they condemned other people; but they never considered that God would one day judge them.

We are being judged (v. 2). The parallel passage in Luke 6:37–38 is helpful here. Not only will God judge us at the end, but people are also judging us right now; and we receive from people exactly what we give. The kind of judgment, and the measure of judgment, comes right back to us. We reap what we have sown.

We must see clearly to help others (vv. 3–5). The purpose of self-judgment is to prepare us to serve others. Christians are obligated to help each other grow in grace. When we do not judge ourselves, we not only hurt ourselves, but we also hurt those to whom we could minister. The Pharisees judged and criticized others to make themselves look good (Luke 18:9–14). But Christians should judge themselves so that they can help others look good. There is a difference!

Let’s look at our Lord’s illustration of this point. Jesus chose the symbol of the eye because this is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body. The picture of a man with a two-by-four stuck in his eye, trying to remove a speck of dust from another man’s eye, is ridiculous indeed! If we do not honestly face up to our own sins, and confess them, we blind ourselves to ourselves; and then we cannot see clearly enough to help others. The Pharisees saw the sins of other people, but they would not look at their own sins.

In Matthew 6:22–23, Jesus used the illustration of the eye to teach us how to have a spiritual outlook on life. We must not pass judgment on others’ motives. We should examine their actions and attitudes, but we cannot judge their motives—for only God can see their hearts. It is possible for a person to do a good work with a bad motive. It is also possible to fail in a task and yet be very sincerely motivated. When we stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat, He will examine the secrets of the heart and reward us accordingly (Rom. 2:16; Col. 3:22–25).

The image of the eye teaches us another truth: We must exercise love and tenderness when we seek to help others (Eph. 4:15). I have had extensive eye examinations, and once had surgery to remove an imbedded speck of steel; and I appreciated the tenderness of the physicians. Like eye doctors, we should minister to people we want to help with tender loving care. We can do more damage than a speck of dirt in the eye if we approach others with impatience and insensitivity.

Two extremes must be avoided in this matter of spiritual self-examination. The first is the deception of a shallow examination. Sometimes we are so sure of ourselves that we fail to examine our hearts honestly and thoroughly. A quick glance into the mirror of the Word will never reveal the true situation (James 1:22–25).

The second extreme is what I call a “perpetual autopsy.” Sometimes we get so wrapped up in self-examination that we become unbalanced. But we should not look only at ourselves, or we will become discouraged and defeated. We should look by faith to Jesus Christ and let Him forgive and restore us. Satan is the accuser (Rev. 12:10), and he enjoys it when we accuse and condemn ourselves!

After we have judged ourselves honestly before God, and have removed those things that blind us, then we can help others and properly judge their works. But if we know there are sins in our lives, and we try to help others, we are hypocrites. In fact, it is possible for ministry to be a device to cover up sin! The Pharisees were guilty of this, and Jesus denounced them for it.³

7:1–4. Judge not refers to an unfavorable and condemnatory judgment. This does not mean that a Christian should never render judgment of any kind under any circumstances. The New Testament Scriptures are filled with exhortations to “mark those who cause divisions among you,” “receive not” those who deny Christ, “exhort,” “rebuke,” etc. Certainly judging ourselves and those who have failed in their spiritual responsibility is a necessity of church discipline (cf. 1 Cor 5). The point being made here is that we are not to judge the inner motives of another. We are not to render a verdict based upon prejudiced information. Nor are we to use ourselves as the standard of judgment for with what … ye mete you shall be judged. If we were judged in eternity merely on the basis of the verbal judgments we have rendered others, we would all condemn ourselves! That ye be not judged seems to refer to the ultimate judgment of God rather than our own judgment. The terms mote (Gr karphos) and beam (Gr dokos) are used metaphorically for a small fault and a great fault. The mote was literally a small speck of sawdust whereas the beam was literally a rafter used in building. Thus, the idea of the text is that one cannot remove the speck from his brother’s eye until he has removed the rafter from his own eye!

5–6. Thou hypocrite is the only statement that can be made for this play actor who pretends to be a physician when he himself is sick. Filson (p. 104) comments: “His concern to criticize and reform others is marred by uncritical moral complacency as to his own life.” The dogs and swine refer to those who have deliberately rejected the message of truth. These particular animals were especially repulsive to Jesus’ audience. The connotation in verse 6 is not that we should not present our message to those who are the outcasts of society, for Jesus Himself went to the poor sinners among His people. Rather, the idea is that it is futile to continue to present truth to those who have refused what they have already heard. A man cannot appreciate new truth until he has responded to the truth which he has already received. Since the context deals with the matter of discernment and judgment, it may rightly be assumed that there is a proper place for such activity in the Christian’s life. The main difference between judgment and discernment is that a judge merely pronounces a verdict, while discernment seeks a solution.⁴

Almost everyone, Christian or not, knows these words are in the Bible: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (v. 1). Because we live in a culture that claims everyone has a right to do what he or she wants to do, this verse gets quoted whenever the church makes a pronouncement against some form of sinful behavior.

Years ago a parishioner brought her troubled son to see me. The young man has been taking drugs and practicing a licentious lifestyle. His anger was immediately apparent to me, and I asked him who he was mad at. “I’m mad at my mother,” he said.

“What is it your mother does that makes you so mad?” I asked.

“Well, she’s religious, and she tries to stuff religion down my throat all the time.”

I asked him, “What is your life’s ethic?”

He said, “I believe people have a right to do their own thing.”

“Well,” I said, “if that’s the case, why are you angry with your mother? What if your mother’s thing is to shove religion down people’s throats?”

At that point he began to laugh. I said, “If you came to me as a Christian and explained that you’ve been having a hard time with your mother because she is critical, judgmental, and harsh, then I’d be willing to make an appointment with your mother on your behalf, but by your ethic you have no complaint to make.”

Judging Rightly

That story of the troubled boy illustrates the inconsistency of the relativistic ethic of our world today, and it also illustrates that this well-known Scripture passage, Matthew 7:1, is one of the least understood passages. First, the warning that Jesus gives, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” is directed to relations between Christians. Second, in view here with respect to the concept of judging is not the judgment of discernment. We are called in the light of God’s law to evaluate human behavior and determine or discern whether it is good or evil, but what is in view here is not that kind of judgment. Rather, it is the judgment of condemnation. The word used in the text is borrowed from the legal vocabulary of the day, and it has to do with the gavel of the judge coming down when he issues a sentence of punishment. That is the judgment of condemnation. So, we could interpret Jesus’ words as “Condemn not, that you be not condemned.”

John in his Gospel gives the account of the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees let the offending man go, but they dragged the woman in shame and humiliation to Jesus. The Pharisees were not looking for sound judgment; they were using the opportunity to trap Jesus. They asked Him, “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (John 8:5). Under Roman occupation the Jews were forbidden from exercising capital punishment, but, according to the Law of Moses, stoning was the penalty for adultery. Therefore, Jesus was on the horns of a dilemma. Many miss the point that Jesus did choose between Moses and Caesar, and He chose Moses. Jesus knelt down and with His finger began writing in the dust. The Bible doesn’t tell us what He wrote; my guess is that He began to list the sins of the woman’s accusers. Then He stood up and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (v. 7). One by one the woman’s accusers walked away, leaving Jesus alone with her.

At that point, Jesus asked her a question: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord,” and Jesus replied, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (vv. 10–11). Jesus was the only sinless one present and therefore the only who had the right to stone her. However, instead of exercising justice He granted mercy and kindness, and He did it without repudiating the law against adultery. Jesus had the judgment of discernment. He recognized the woman’s sin, yet He gave her forgiveness.

One thing that defines the life of the Christian is forgiveness. Of all people in this world, we are the ones who have the least right to be judgmental, harsh, or critical. Those with a critical spirit are always picking at something. They are not happy unless they are unhappy and criticizing something or someone.

Jesus is not advocating here in Matthew a Pollyannaish view of the world. While there are people who cannot look at anything without finding some fault in it, there are also those who look at the world through rose-colored glasses. Jesus is speaking out against having a harsh judgment of people. He is not asking that His people be naïve; He is asking for the judgment of charity. As Christians, we are those who are quick to charity and slow to condemnation.

A pastor I knew years ago claimed that there is no resurrection from the dead and that those who believe in the resurrection are fools. When I verbalized my distress at his claim, someone said to me, “That dear soul doesn’t really believe that. He’s just trying to get you to think.” She just could not bring herself to believe poorly about this man, and that is what we ought to be—charitable to a fault. The judgment of charity means that we interpret other people’s actions, particularly actions toward us, in the best of all possible lights.⁵

The judgment of condemnation does just the opposite. It interprets people’s actions and motives in the worst of all possible lights. Jesus calls attention to our tendency to give the judgment of charity to ourselves but not to others. We interpret our failures and sins in the best of all possibly lights. In fact, we often do not call our sin “sin.” We refer instead to our “mistakes” and “bad decisions.” We must never judge the motives of another because we cannot possibly know what motivates another unless we are told. It is safest to avoid even attempting to read someone’s motives. We can look at what was done and evaluate whether the action was good or bad, but only God knows the heart of what motivated that particular behavior.

Jesus’ point is that nothing will tear up the church faster than those who make harsh judgments about others. He is speaking here about brothers and sisters in Christ: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (vv. 3–5). Jesus uses hyperbole to teach a point. The two objects He uses for radical contrast were found in the carpenter’s shop in that day. Carpenters were builders of houses, and great strength was required to carry the large wooden beams used to construct the houses’ ceiling. The word translated as “plank” referred to one of those very large logs or beams. In contrast to that beam is a speck of sawdust. Jesus’ point is that someone whose eye is covered by a thick plank cannot see others clearly. He is saying that although each of us is guilty of major sins and failures, we so easily call attention to a tiny blemish in the life of someone else.

One reason we direct attention to the speck in someone’s eye is to distract attention away from the plank in our own eye. When we have planks in our eyes, we consider them specks. When we see specks in others’ eyes, we view them as planks. That is how sin destroys human relationships and community, and that is why Jesus is warning us to be careful. If we adopt a judgmental spirit toward others, what goes around is going to come around, and we will be judged.

Judging with Discernment

Jesus does make a distinction in His teaching, and throughout the New Testament, between what we call gross or heinous sins and what we call peccadilloes, our little sins. We are called to have the kind of love that covers a multitude of sins. To cover up a major sin is serious, but if we are not considering a heinous sin that affects the entire church or community, we are to cover each other with that love. If I see a speck in by brother’s eye, I must cover it in my soul with love. If my brother sees a speck in my eye, he must do the same. We must not destroy the body of Christ over sawdust, which is Jesus’ point here.

The rest of this passage contains irony, because in order to fulfill it, we must be able to execute judgment—not the judgment of condemnation but the judgment of discernment. Our Lord has just said, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” and then He concludes this discourse by saying, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (v. 6). In order to obey this dictum, in the first instance we have to be able to discern between what is holy and what is not.

Dogs in Israel were not gentle, fuzzy, household pets. They were despised scavengers. They were held in the same regard as pigs in a pigsty. Jesus is pointing out that people had the good sense not to take holy things and give them to dogs. Who are these dogs? They are people who make it their business to hate the kingdom of God. Jesus is not advising us to hate such people. When He sent out His disciples on their mission, He said, “Whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet” (Matt. 10:11–14). While it is right to care about people who are hostile to the kingdom, we must not spend all our time giving them holy things.

Paul went to Mars Hill, to the cultural center of Athens, and engaged in a dispute with the philosophers. When He was finished, some embraced what He said, some mocked Him, and others wanted to hear more. For those who responded, Paul had all the time in the world; for those who wanted to hear more, he would talk to them and answer every question he could; but for those who abjectly refused to hear the gospel, he did not spend any more time with them. He left them to God. Perhaps they would really hear the truth at another time from someone else.

In Matthew 7 Jesus is issuing a warning. He has given us the pearl of great price, and we are not to take that valuable gem and throw it to the pigs. The pig in his slop has no appreciation for the value of the pearl. In fact, the pig would think that an acorn has more value than the pearl.

Again, Jesus is not saying that we are to adopt a hard-hearted attitude to the unbeliever. He just wants us to be discerning in our proclamation of the gospel. We are to discern the mind while not

judging harshly with the heart. That is what we’re called to do, and it is a very weighty call indeed.⁶

7:1–12 Jesus moves from personal temptations to interpersonal temptations. He warns against inappropriate judging (vv. 1–5) and commends appropriate evaluation (v. 6). He then looks at God’s guidance as the source of the believer’s stability in relationship to others (vv. 7–12).

7:1–2 Judge not forbids pronouncing another person guilty before God. But see note on vv. 3–5. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged. Undue harshness and a judgmental attitude toward others will result in being treated in much the same way by God.

7:3–5 Jesus may have drawn on his background as a carpenter (13:55; Mark 6:3) for his metaphor of a log in your own eye, which of course was hyperbole (intentional overstatement; cf. Matt. 5:29–30). then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Jesus does not forbid all evaluation or even judgment of others, for ultimately the one who feels grieved and humbled over his own sin can help remove the “speck” from others. What Jesus does rule out is pride that views oneself as better than others (cf. Gal. 6:1).

7:6 In the ancient world, dogs lived in squalor and scavenged the streets for food (Ps. 59:14–15). Jews considered them unclean and used the term to describe those apart from, or enemies of, Israel’s covenant community (cf. 1 Sam. 17:43; Ps. 22:16; Prov. 26:11). Pigs were rejected by Jews, probably because they too were scavenging animals, and they were unclean according to OT law. Pearls symbolize the great value of the message of the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt. 13:45–46). Believers are to be merciful, forgiving, and slow to judge (7:1–5), yet they should wisely discern the true character of people and not indefinitely continue proclaiming the gospel to those who adamantly reject it, so that they can move on and proclaim the gospel to others (cf. 10:14; also Acts 13:46; 18:6; Titus 3:10–11).⁷

1 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Matthew 1-13) (electronic ed., Vol. 34, pp. 99–101). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 29–30). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

4 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 1901). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

5 Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (pp. 187–189). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

6 Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (pp. 189–191). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

7 Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1833). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.