July 27, 2025
We’re in our message series on the most misused verses in the Bible. Last week we learned that when Jesus said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name” he wasn’t promising to grant our every wish. Instead, he encouraged his disciples that after he returns to heaven, they will do the works he is doing now! Jesus promised he will do whatever they ask in his name as they take the good news to the world!
Today we’re talking about when Jesus said, “Judge not, or your will be judged.” This is a very popular verse! It’s popular with Christians. Even people who aren’t even religious love it! Why? Because no one likes to be judged! I remember when I was a kid, maybe 8 years old. There was a tree, not too high, that somebody nailed a few boards to it to make it easy to climb the tree. It was the neighborhood treehouse. I was outside playing with my friend Stephanie. She had never seen the tree, so we climbed it! Then her mom came looking for us. Mrs. Ward made us both get out of that tree, and said to me, “Do your parents know you were up in that tree?” I said “Yes, they don’t mind.” I don’t think she believed me. She made me feel like a troublemaker!
Nobody likes to be judged! But the truth is, we judge ALL the time. Religious people especially have a reputation for being judgmental. In the gospels there was a certain group of people that Jesus just couldn’t stand! He was ok with sinners. Jesus was happy to eat dinner with corrupt tax collectors, but he would get so mad at the religious leaders! They were arrogant! They thought they were better than other people. They were sure that God considered them extremely holy. Nobody else could follow God like they could! Maybe Jesus was especially emotional about hypocritical religious leaders, because they made everybody else feel like they were worthless. The religious leaders were discouraging people in their walk with God.
The verse, “Judge not lest ye be judged” is found in Matthew 7. The chapter before Matthew 7 is Matthew 6. In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about how not to be a hypocrite. Jesus says, when you give, or pray, or fast, don’t make a big show about it, and don’t store up treasures on earth, store them up in heaven. Jesus hated hypocrisy.
Jesus doesn’t want us to be hypocritical. It sounds like Jesus doesn’t want us to judge. After all, he says, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” But he’s really bothered by hypocritical judging. Don’t size someone up and tell someone, “This is what’s wrong with you…” Don’t say, “The problem with you is…” As if you never do anything wrong!
Jesus says in Matthew 7:2 “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” There are four gospels in the Bible that each tell the story of Jesus. Sometimes they record the same things, just a little differently. “Judge not” is also in the gospel of Luke as well in Matthew. In Luke 6:37. Jesus says, “Judge not and you will not be judge. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.” Jesus is saying we have to be merciful to people. One of the worst sins, according to Jesus, is to write someone off. Jesus wants us to show mercy. He had mercy on sinners, and people felt God’s love through his mercy. People were ready to turn to God because of it. Just imagine, if Jesus came telling people, “You’re evil, there is no hope for you, God condemns you!” hearts would not have been changed! Jesus says if you judge someone hypocritically, you will be judged back by God. Jesus wants you to restore, not destroy the people around you.
In Matthew 7:3-5 Jesus says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
I have this image of me with a 2 by 4 sticking out of my eye, telling my brother “Hey, get that speck out of your eye!” It’s ridiculous! I have the bigger problem! Jesus is telling us, if you see your brother or sister has a problem, be humble! You are also a sinner! Instead of being an arrogant know it all, listen to your brother. Really listen to find out how they feel and what they hope for. Come to them full of grace, knowing you could be wrong.
How is “Judge not lest ye be judged” a misused verse? It can be an excuse to stand back, judge people silently, (because we’re not supposed to judge! So, we’ll just keep it to ourselves.) And we don’t get involved. They are so messed up, but it’s not my problem! Jesus adds something really important to judge not! He says, “you hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eyes, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Jesus says you cannot stand back, judge silently and do nothing. He gives his followers, that includes us, something to do. Take the plank out of your eye and help your brother or sister. Turn from your sin. Pull out that plank so you can see reality clearly. Then, Jesus says, get involved with your brother or sister and their speck. Love means I can’t stand back when I see you need help. Jesus wants you to restore, not destroy, the people around you.
You have to help your brother or sister to change. It’s pretty hard to help someone change! That’s because you have to listen really well to understand what they really want. Even with people you are very close to, it can be so difficult to really listen to them. Why? Because I know best! I know what they need.
When Jesus came to help people, he didn’t say, “I already know what you want, before you ask. I’m that great!” Jesus probably did already know what they wanted, but he asked first anyway. “What do you want me to do for you?” They said, “I want to see!” He asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said, “Lord, let our eyes be opened!” Jesus was a great listener!
I’ll tell you a story of someone I think is a really good listener. Dr. Amador is a psychiatrist, who worked in a hospital, and a patient came in named Matt who had severe mental illness. Matt would get aggressive and violent if didn’t take his medicine. He lived with his parents. When Matt got aggressive, his parents would call the police to take him to the hospital. There he would get back on his medicine and get back to his normal self. The doctor would tell him “You need to take your medicine every day. Matt would say, “Ok, I will.” But then he got home and was feeling better. He decided that since he was better, he didn’t need his medicine anymore. He would stop taking it and end up back in the hospital. Dr. Amador listened well to Matt and asked what he hoped for. Matth said he wanted his parents to stop calling the police, because he didn’t like being handcuffed and going to the hospital. And he wanted a job. Dr. Amador told Matt, if I were you, I would also stop taking the medicine after I left the hospital! If I thought I didn’t need it, why would I take it? Matt was amazed and glad someone heard and understood him! Dr. Amador said, “Your truth is that you don’t have mental illness, and you feel strongly you shouldn’t be taking medicine for an illness you don’t have. It’s your life, you make the decisions.
Matt said, “But you’ll think I’m stupid if I stop taking the medicine when I get home.” Dr. Amador said, “No, I won’t. But I might think you made a bad decision, since your goal is to stay away from the police and the hospital.”
At the end of their conversation, they shook hands. Dr. Amador, told him, “I hope I never see you again.” They both laughed! They found that keeping Matt out of the hospital and living his life at home was something they both absolutely agreed on!
My challenge for you this week is to say this phrase to someone: “I could be wrong.” “I don’t know everything.” Jesus wants you to approach your sister or brother with mercy and humility. Say to someone nearby, “I could be wrong! I don’t know everything.”
Jesus said, “Judge not or your will be judged.” We don’t like to be judged. Jesus doesn’t want us to size people up and write them off. Jesus treated people with respect. He teaches us to own up to our faults and listen well to others. Christians should be quick to admit fault and slow to condemn the faults of others. “Judge not” because Jesus wants you to restore the people around you. Amen.
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