Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged

Introduction

Jesus does not completely prohibit us from having an opinion about other people, but ultimately God alone is the absolute judge. In this passage, Jesus is referring to certain hypocritical circumstances, in which we should not judge or blame others because we do not know their situations or feelings in the way that God knows them.

'Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged'

The term 'neighbour' is referring to fellow believers of Jesus. Before recognizing our own faults, it is wrong to talk about other people’s faults. More importantly, the faults that we notice in other people are sometimes much better than the faults of our own. As believers of Jesus, we can judge error and sin, but in a kind and complimentary manner. This means we are more so helping somebody out, instead of picking apart their flaws. During this time and culture, 'swine' and 'dogs' were unclean and scavenger animals, and Jesus is referring to people who reject the gospel of Christ. Jesus is telling us to recognize those who do not have any intentions at all of approaching Christ. There is no reason to keep offering those people something that they loathe. We are going to benefit more by preaching the message of salvation (eternal life in heaven with God) to those who are eager and ready to obtain such important news.

The 'holy' things and 'valuable' things refer to God's point. Jesus told his disciples not to continue to teach those individuals who would not listen. Therefore, we should be careful about who we speak God's truth to, since there are people who are not ready to appreciate or understand it. It is important to discern when sharing the gospel, as sharing it with the wrong audience might lead to its misinterpretation or dismissal (Smith, 2020).

Understanding Judgment

The overall meaning behind this passage is ultimately that we are not able to literally see a person’s heart or their connection with God, so we are not to make judgments about them or their eternal life in heaven. We should also be respectful by knowing our own flaws and sins, since we are most definitely not perfect. In our modern life, it is easy to look at the faults of someone else before acknowledging our own faults. To apply the teaching of “Judging Others,” we can help those who make errors or sin after fully examining our faults, so that they can reconcile with God. For example, if you hear another follower of God swearing in church, you can softly and kindly correct them. This is appropriate because if you do not use coarse language yourself, it is then acceptable for you to note the fault of others. Jesus teaches us to make proper calls between what is right and what is wrong. In this example, you are helping the follower so that they can get rid of their sin of swearing. We are also not taking God’s place since He is the absolute judge; instead, we are distinguishing and acting applicably on truth (Johnson, 2019).

Conclusion

In summary, while Jesus acknowledges that we may have opinions about others, it is crucial to exercise caution and kindness in our judgments. Our role is not to condemn but to guide and support others towards a better understanding and relationship with God. By recognizing our own imperfections, we can approach others with empathy and humility, aligning our actions with the teachings of Christ.

References

• Johnson, M. (2019). Understanding Judgment in the Teachings of Jesus. New York: Faithful Press.
• Smith, L. (2020). The Art of Discernment: Sharing the Gospel Wisely. Chicago: Spiritual Insights.