The Life and Ministry of Jesus
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Matthew 7:1–2
Christians have an obligation to exercise critical judgment! What Christ means when he says “Do not judge” is that we are to refrain from hypercritical, condemning judgment. There is a universe of difference between being discerningly critical and hypercritical. A discerning spirit is constructive. A hypercritical spirit is destructive. The person with a destructive, overcritical spirit revels in criticism for its own sake. He expects to find fault, like the man who sat watching his preacher neighbor nail up a trellis in his backyard.
The preacher, seeing him watching intently from his yard, asked, “Trying to pick up some pointers on carpentry?” To which his neighbor replied, “Nope. Just waiting to see what a preacher says when he hits his thumb.” When a critic discovers faults in another, he feels a malignant satisfaction and always sees the worst possible motives in the other’s actions. The critical spirit is like the carrion fly that buzzes with a sickening hum of satisfaction over sores, preferring corruption to health. 1
Personal Encouragement
The Bible does not have a prohibition on judgment. In fact it encourages us to judge wisely. It speaks about discernment. The most important thing is not to have a critical spirit. Pray and ask God how to make Godly decisions, with correct judgement.
Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. John 7:24
The world says “Don’t Judge Me!” God says “I Will Judge You” regarding Jesus.
A Prayer
Lord, thank You for bearing my judgement upon Your cross.
1. Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
