“Judge Not” (Jan 30, 2026)
Judge not, that you be not judged (Matt 7:1, ESV).
We’ve all heard this verse quoted—often by someone trying to shut down any moral conversation! But Jesus isn’t forbidding all discernment or evaluation. He’s warning us about something much more insidious: the kind of harsh, hypocritical judgment that refuses to see our own faults while exaggerating everyone else’s.
Jesus gets vivid here. Imagine trying to perform delicate eye surgery on your friend while you have a two-by-four sticking out of your own eye socket. That’s precisely what we do when we rush to correct others while ignoring our own glaring failures. The speck and the log aren’t about big sins versus little sins—they’re about perspective (Matt 7:3-4). We see others’ faults with microscopic clarity while remaining oblivious to our own. Where are you most prone to this kind of harsh judgment? What log might you be ignoring in your own life while focusing on someone else’s speck?
Here’s the paradox: Jesus doesn’t say, “Never help your brother with his speck.” He says:
First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye (Matt 7:5).
Gentle correction is important, but only after honest self-reflection. Only then will we be able to approach others with the same mercy we desperately need for ourselves.
The measuring stick works both ways:
For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you (Matt 7:2).
When we are quick to judge, harsh in our evaluations, and unforgiving of others’ failures, we’re actually setting the standard by which we will be judged—both by others and ultimately by God. That should fill us with humility and trepidation.
Instead of judging, we should ask: Where am I most likely to judge others harshly? What flaw might I be ignoring in my own life while pointing out others’ faults? How can I develop both honest self-reflection and sincere compassion for others’ struggles?