Reading the Word

Matthew 7:1–5 (ESV)

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, 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.

Parallel Text: Luke 6:37-42

Understanding and Applying the Word

Have you ever heard someone misapply a passage from the Bible? Well, Matthew 7:1-5 may be the most misunderstood and misapplied passage in the entire Bible. Most of us have heard people quote verse one as a way of saying “we should not say whether someone is right or wrong in their views or actions.” That is not what Jesus was saying!

Throughout the Bible, God’s people are told to live according to his word and to not live like the world. And God’s people are supposed to help each other do just that. We are supposed to do it through encouragement, through teaching, and even through rebuke (cf. 2 Timothy 4:2). In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul even tells the Corinthian church to expel a certain man because of his improper sexual relationship. Yes, throw him out! No one replied, “Well, Paul, judge not that you be not judged.”

Jesus’ words are a warning about being judgmental, not about being discerning. When we look down on others with a self-righteous attitude and demand that they suffer severe consequences for their sins and errors, we do what Jesus is warning against. We need to first examine our own lives and realize our own sin (the log in our eye) before we attack someone else’s. When we do that, our response to others is more gracious and humble. When we are filled with humility and grace, then we are ready to help others deal with their sins. Let us pray that God would help us rightly discern our own sins so we can be better prepared to help others with their’s.

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