Judging others: What did Jesus mean in Matthew 7?

We’re all familiar with Jesus’ command: “Do not judge.” But people like to apply this selectively.  “Don’t judge me” is a common defense for just about any disagreeable act we do. Many use it to repel criticism, regardless of their actions. But what did Jesus mean by judge and how should we understand his command?

Do not judge

Jesus actual words were:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

Judging in this passage means passing judgment on a person’s character or worth. It comes from pride and an attitude of superiority over others. People have no right to give a low value to some people, or a higher value to others. Only God can assign value and worth to people.

Jesus is saying God will use on us the measure we use on others. When we judge others, we too stand judged, since we also have sinned and are guilty before God. But in not condemning but extending grace to others, God will then apply that measure and bring that same blessing to us. To those who bless others with kindness, forgiveness, and mercy he will bless in the same measure.

Jesus in this teaching was not prohibiting all forms of judgment. There are legitimate types of judging that are necessary, as discussed later in the article. But here judging refers to judging someone’s character or worth or condemning them.

Judging others by condemning

The parallel passage in Luke is:

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37)

In the context of Jesus’ command, judging goes hand in hand with condemning. When we condemn someone, we are pronouncing them guilty. And we have no right to condemn others, as only God has that right.

But when will God judge people? Was Jesus just teaching a moral lesson, or will there be an actual event where he judges the guilty? Jesus taught that God will condemn the guilty at the final judgment of all people. At that solemn event each of us will give an account of our lives to God: how we treated others, and how we viewed ourselves in relation to others (Matthew 25:31-46).

Judging others by hypocritical criticism

Judging can also be criticizing someone with a judgmental and superior attitude. Judging others in this way is presumptuous and hypocritical.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)

Jesus’ exaggeration would have surely entertained his audience. Anyone hearing would’ve quickly understood the point, that a judgmental person is blind to their own faults. It’s such a common occurrence. Those who are always trying to correct others on their “issues” are probably guilty of their own issues that they’re too proud to admit. We’ve all seen it and have probably been guilty of it ourselves.

Jesus then tells us only after we have taken the plank out of our own eye will we be able to see clearly enough to take the speck out someone else’s eye. Removing our judgmental attitude will qualify us to be able to truly help someone else with their problem. When we have true love, concern, and compassion for another person, then our motives will be clean and God can use us.

Pharisaical hypocrisy

Paul elaborated on Jesus’ teaching and applied it to what he saw in the religious leaders of his time:

… you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?  (Romans 2:21-23)

As a previous Pharisee himself, he was personally acquainted with the behavior of this group, who taught others to keep God’s law but then didn’t practice it themselves. He had undoubtedly witnessed these sins many times—in his associates, and in himself.

Judging others by slandering

Judging others can also be expressed as slander, as the apostle James explained:

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?  (James 4:11-12)

Slandering is making false accusations about someone to destroy their reputation or livelihood. Judging in this context is putting someone down in public so others will think of them as dishonest, worthless, or having evil intent.

James is saying that slanderously speaking against others is equivalent to taking God’s place as the only true and righteous judge. We as believers are to imitate God’s character, but not his position as judge, as he is the true and only judge. And he gave us his moral law as a guide and standard for human behavior, which we are all subject to. But those who judge others are imposter judges and will be punished for their presumptuousness.

James also makes it clear that there are only two final destinies of people at God’s final judgment: salvation or destruction.

Judging others by cursing them

Judging can also take the form of cursing someone, making hateful comments about them to their face or wishing them harm or evil.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.   (James 3:9-10)

God shares his personal attributes with humans, and so they are made in his likeness. Everyone has great value and worth, so we don’t have the right to disparage and degrade another person who is made in God’s image. We are making God a liar when we do so, since he has declared all humans to have great value.

Judging others by looking down at them

A person with a judgmental attitude will view themselves as superior to others in knowledge, ability, status, or worth. They look on others as beneath them and so treat them with contempt. Paul addresses this attitude in his discussion on dealing with debatable matters within the church, such as what we eat and drink or observing special days.

One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. (Romans 14:2-4)

Paul’s logic is clear: we don’t supervise someone else’s servant or employee, so why do we do that with God’s servants?  We have no right to pass judgment on another believer’s commitment to God or service for God. Each person answers to God individually. So, our judgment of someone else’s faith, style of worship, or approach to serving God only causes conflict and disunity in the church. The only exception is if we have an official supervisory position over others in a ministry or church.

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12 NIV 1984)

Everyone will have to appear before God’s judgment seat to give an account of their life. And we all will answer for our own life and service, not for others. On that day, God will be the final Judge.

Judging by discerning

There is another type of judging we need to address: that of discerning. In this context, judgment is not condemning others but assessing a problem.  The goal of this is to get a better view of an issue so we can make a good decision.

We make these kinds of judgments everyday: what to purchase, when to commit and when to back off, what to eat and what not to eat. These are necessary for living a safe and blessed life.

Most of these judgments are morally neutral because they involve decisions about things or ideas. But sometimes they concern people, their character, abilities, and even wrongs they may have done.

We frequently have to make judgments about people: who to hire for a job, who to marry, who to trust in business, who to purchase a car from, what Bible teacher to listen to, what pastor to trust. In these cases, are we breaking Jesus’ command by judging?  No, these judgments don’t involve condemning the person but are necessary to make wise decisions and to protect ourselves and others from harm or fraud. In these cases, we should make every effort to “judge correctly” (John 7:24).

Judging actions

Many times, when someone says, “Don’t judge me,” they mean “don’t criticize my actions.” And we should be careful with giving unwanted criticism. But we can judge the actions of people without judging them as people. We are completely free to reject a sinful action or an ungodly lifestyle and call it sinful, based on Scripture. In fact, it’s necessary to judge actions to warn ourselves and others of the negative consequences of bad decisions and behavior.

But here’s where we need to be careful. In confronting someone personally and calling out their actions, are we doing it in humility and in love, or are we judging them as a person? Are we using their actions as an opportunity to put them down, or to claim superiority over them or prove we’re better than them? The goal in confronting is never to judge the person, but to restore them:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  (Galatians 6:1)

We can use Jesus as our example here: he loved the sinful person and didn’t condemn them, but he hated the sin that was destroying their life. As he told the woman caught in adultery:

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  (John 8:11)

Judging false teachers

Jesus also warned us against false teachers and false prophets:

“By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16).

Heeding this warning involves making judgments on people who wield influence over others. False teachers should be avoided and even confronted. How do we know if a pastor or teacher is trustworthy? We use wisdom and discernment. This involves looking at their lives, the results of their ministry, and their actions—their fruits.

This judging is not critiquing the person’s ministry to point out what is deficient in it. That’s the job of a supervisor or board of elders. The judging we should exercise is seeing if a teacher’s fruit is good or bad, if it is safe to eat or if it is rotten. Is the teacher self-willed and arrogant, or do they show the fruit of the Spirit? Are they in submission to authority, or are they defiant and unaccountable? Do they abuse people financially, verbally, or sexually (see 2 Peter chapter 2), or are they respectful, generous, and self-controlled?

Judging disputes

Judging can also involve hearing disputes between people.

Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?  (1 Corinthians 6:2)

The godly members of a church should be called on to judge disputes among believers. Again, this doesn’t involve condemning or judging a person’s worth. It’s using discernment to resolve conflicts between people. Only godly and compassionate leaders who are wise, unbiased, and free from a judgmental attitude are qualified for this.

Conclusion

So, how do we know if we are conforming to Jesus’ command not to judge? There’s nothing wrong with making judgments about disputes, choices to make, lifestyles to adopt, actions to take, and who to involve ourselves with or commit ourselves to. These judgments are part of life and also an important part of serving and walking with God. And warning and correction are not judging if done with humility and respect. But Jesus forbids judging another person’s character and worth, slandering or cursing them, and looking down on them as inferior. There is only one Judge, and we will all face him to answer for our own lives on Judgment Day.

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