“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
This verse from Matthew 7:1 is probably one of the more quoted verses in the Bible. It’s often used as a defense against anyone pointing out wrongdoing or offering correction. But is that what Jesus meant when He said it? Was He telling us never to judge?
Not at all. In fact, Jesus commands us to “judge righteous judgment” in John 7:24. So, what does Matthew 7:1 mean? Let’s dig in.
This passage is not a blanket statement against judging. Instead, Jesus is teaching us how to approach judgment properly. The warning here is about hypocrisy. In verse 2, Jesus reminds us that the same standard we use to judge others will be used against us: “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
Think about that for a moment. How often do we judge others without first examining ourselves? Jesus gives a vivid example to drive the point home. He describes a man trying to help someone remove a small speck—a toothpick—from their eye while ignoring a massive beam in his own. Imagine how ridiculous that looks! It’s like someone with a plank of wood sticking out of their face trying to perform delicate surgery on someone else’s eye.
What’s the lesson? Before we can help someone else with their faults, we need to deal with our own. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help others. It means we must first approach our own sins honestly, humbly confessing them and seeking God’s help to remove them. Once we’ve done that, we’re in a better position to help others without hypocrisy clouding our judgment.
Jesus isn’t telling us never to judge. He’s telling us to judge rightly. That means our judgment should be guided by truth, humility, and love. It also means we must examine our own lives first. Are we living according to God’s Word? Are we practicing what we preach?
When we ignore our own sins and focus on others, we become like the Pharisees—quick to point fingers but slow to look in the mirror. But when we humbly deal with the “beams” in our own lives, we can offer real help to others in removing their “toothpicks.”
This kind of judgment isn’t about condemnation; it’s about restoration. It’s about helping someone see clearly so they can walk closer to God. It’s about truth wrapped in grace. So, let’s not fall into the trap of hypocrisy, but let’s also not shy away from the responsibility to lovingly help others when they stumble.
In the end, Jesus isn’t telling us to ignore sin. He’s telling us to approach it with humility and righteousness. Let’s be sure that when we judge, we’re doing it His way—righteous judgment, not self-righteous judgment.
