Let's start right here in Matthew 7 because this is a perfect example where we're being told not to judge
Let's get the context it says in verse 1 judge not that ye be not judged
For with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye?
But consider it's not the beam that is in thine own eye or how wilt thou say to thy brother?
Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye and be able to beam is in thine own eye
Thou hypocrite and that is the key word right here
The first thing I want to point out is that it's wrong for us to judge when we are being a hypocrite
Meaning that we are judging someone for something that we ourselves are guilty of and maybe we're not guilty of exactly what they're doing
But we might be guilty of something very similar
And in fact what we're guilty of is often worse than the person we're judging here
He compares it to someone who has a beam in their eye. What is a beam a giant piece of wood?
You know buildings are made with huge beams to to bear the load beams are giant pieces of wood
Whereas the moat is basically just a little speck of wood like a splinter or piece of sawdust
And he's saying it would be like if someone that was a friend of yours or your brother
Had a piece of sawdust in his eye and you have this beam in your eye and you're oh, man
We need to fix that piece of sawdust right away, you know, we need to get that out of your eye
Obviously, it's ridiculous and the bible even says that because of the beam that is in our own eye
We are not able to see clearly to cast out the moat
That is in our brother's eye because we are blinded by our own sin by our own faults and then that's why he says first
Verse five there first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly
to cast out
The moat out of thy brother's eye now
This is a very often misunderstood passage because people will take this passage and just say he's just telling you not to judge period
Just never judge just don't judge and often people will just quote the first two words. I mean we have five verses here
But they'll just quote the first two words. Just judge. Jesus said judge not
Period but that's not what he said. He gave us this whole teaching and by the time we get to verse five
He's telling us to judge
Because he says first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then leave the moat in your brother's eyes
Is that what he says?
No, he says first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly
To cast out the moat out of thy brother's eye. So is it wrong to judge when we're not being a hypocrite?
No, and so here by the time we get to verse five, he's telling us to judge in verse one. He's telling us don't judge
If you're guilty yourself he says judge not that ye be not judged because with the sir that you're judged
Or the same measure that you use to judge other people
Is the same measure that you're going to be judged by you probably heard the expression those who live in glass houses
Shouldn't throw stones
And you know, we'll often condemn someone then we'll turn around and do the same thing
Well, don't be surprised if god brings that back around and we're brought into judgment for the same thing
The bible says for he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy and mercy rejoiceth against judgment
So we're going to reap what we sow
If we judge people for things that we're guilty of but people will often misapply this this scripture judge not that you be not judged
For example, you know, let's say I see a man walking down the street in a dress
And I say, you know, that's perverted
That's wicked, you know that that's disgusting and then people say oh judge not that you be not judged
But here's the thing i'm willing to be judged by that standard
I'm not afraid of that. I'm not afraid of well, you know what but
Someday if I walk down the street and dress people are going to say the same
No, because i'm not afraid of that standard because I don't have that beam in my eye
Therefore there's nothing hypocritical about saying hey, that's weird. That's sinful. That's an abomination
That's what the bible teaches. Okay, so go to romans two if you would romans chapter number two
So the first type of judging that we see that is wrong
Is when we judge people and we're a hypocrite about it and let me tell you something
This happens a lot
There are a lot of people out there
Who are the most judgmental people?
That are guilty themselves
And so they want to point out everybody else's faults to try to make themselves feel better about themselves. And so we do need to be aware
That we are not a hypocrite in our judgment that we never hold people to a higher standard
Than what we're willing to hold ourselves to
Okay, but it says in romans chapter two verse one. Therefore thou art inexcusable
Oh, man, whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thyself for thou that judgest
Doest the same thing. So do you see here in another verse that's negative about judging it's talking about being a hypocrite
It's talking about judging people and you're doing the same thing and then it says in verse two
But we are sure that the judgment of god is according to truth against them which commit such things
So look the problem isn't that you're condemning someone who's done something. It's the fact that you're doing it yourself
And he says in verse three
And thinkest thou this oh man that judgest them which do such things and do us the same that thou shalt escape the judgment of
God so god's warning us the same way. He warned us in matthew seven
look if you
Be a hypocrite and judge people for things that you're guilty of condemn people for things that you're guilty of doing yourself
God is going to make sure that you are exposed
God is going to make sure that you are judged by the same measure that you've been judging others. God will bring
Out into the open your hidden sins if that if you're going to be a hypocrite and live a double life
And publicly say one thing and then privately you're doing something completely different