“For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). This principle points to a divine reciprocity: the standards we use to judge others will be applied to us. Are we quick to condemn but slow to extend grace?

Thank you for joining me as we continue walking through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Today we’re focusing on a passage that is often quoted – but frequently misunderstood: Matthew 7:1-6. “Judge not, that you be not judged.” You’ve probably heard those words before. Maybe they were directed at you, or maybe you’ve said them yourself. But what did Jesus really mean? Was he forbidding all forms of judgment, discernment, and correction? Or was he pointing to something deeper – something about the attitude of our hearts?

As we dig into this passage, we’ll discover that Jesus isn’t telling us to throw discernment out the window. In fact, he’ll soon say in this very chapter that we’re to recognize people by the fruit they bear. So clearly, not all judging is forbidden. What Jesus does confront is the kind of self-righteous, hypocritical, condemning spirit that so often masquerades as holiness. Let’s dive in.

The Call to Humble Discernment

“Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). This verse is often lifted from its context and used to silence any moral or spiritual assessment. But Jesus isn’t banning judgment; he’s warning against the wrong kind of it – a harsh, hypocritical, self-righteous judgment that exalts the critic and crushes the sinner. The Greek word for “judge” (krinō) can refer to a wide range of actions – from simple evaluation to final condemnation. In this context, Jesus clearly has in mind a kind of condemning posture that puts self in the place of God.

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