Matthew 7:1-2
“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 18:23-35
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Devotion
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 believer 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 why a fellow believer does a certain thing. We see only outward acts. God does not forbid our judging (discerning) wrong and evil actions. The point that Jesus is making 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/her considerations of others.
God is all-knowing, and we are not. He has the authority and all knowledge to be just when He judges. We are not all-knowing, and we lack the authority to judge (condemn) others. This passage is concerned with the fault-finding, condemnatory attitude, which is too often combined with a blindness to one’s own failings. The parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matthew 18:23-35) illustrates the point clearly. In this parable, Jesus is clearly teaching that those who will not forgive cannot expect to be forgiven. If the church is the community of the forgiven, then all its relationships will be marked by forgiveness, which is not a mere form of words but an essential characteristic.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were guilty of exercising a false judgment about themselves, other people, and even the Lord. Their false righteousness helped to encourage this false judgment. Clearly, Jesus is saying that before we judge others, we must first judge ourselves. The Pharisees “played God” as they condemned other people, but they never considered that one day God would judge them. 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 (Galatians 6:7).
Questions to Ponder:
Do you make value judgments about people based on their external appearance? Are you quick to condemn others? Are you known as the type of person who is severe in your consideration of others? What is the difference between discerning and condemning? Have you ever felt that someone was judging you based on your appearance? How did it make you feel?
Prayer Points
- Praise God for being all-knowing. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He is the God who sees.
- Worship Him as Righteous Judge who is faithful, true, and just.
- Thank Him for being forgiving, merciful, good, and kind.
- Ask Spirit of God to search your heart and bring to your attention any person or organization whom you are judging or condemning. Ask for forgiveness and ask the Lord to give you a heart of love toward them.
- Pray for our church family, that Abba will lead us all in the way of truth, love, and mercy. Ask for a pure heart that moves toward others with great compassion, mercy, love, and patience.
Suggested Prayer
Holy Father, Righteous Father, You have unlimited patience. You are full of mercy and kindness. Thank You for the way You have forgiven me personally. Thank You for taking on my sins and the sins of the world so that the punishment that I deserve went upon You. You endured the cross all for the sake of love. Thank You for being steadfast and faithful in Your love. I ask, Father, that You would enable me to see people the way You see them, as ones precious in Your sight, ones that have infinite value. Convict me when I start judging people’s hearts and motives. Lead me into love toward them. It’s so hard at times, but when I ask for Your help You empower me by Your Holy Spirit to respond in a way that brings You, Father, glory. So glorify Your Son in and through my thoughts and actions. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.