Commentaries:
God will often see to it that we are treated the same way we treat others.
Jacob was a talented young man with great ability, but he had a serious fault: As a young man, he would lie, connive, and scheme to get his own way, without a thought for other people's feelings. He deceived his father Isaac into blessing him, instead of his brother Esau, with the birthright, an incident that split the family and caused much suffering and ill will, as Genesis 27 records.
God, of course, fully intended Jacob to have the birthright and could have worked it out in a way in which nobody got hurt. But this was not the first time that Jacob had used shrewdness to get his own way. Earlier, when Esau was about to collapse from lack of nourishment, Jacob gave Esau bread, a stew of lentils, and a drink in exchange for his birthright. Jacob had a secret sin and needed to be taught a lesson. He could not look at himself and see that he had this sin. He probably looked at himself as many today in business look at themselves; he probably thought he was being clever and wise.
During the next few years, Jacob reaped what he had sowed. His employer and future father-in-law, Laban, tricked him out of his wages and the wife for whom he had labored seven years. In addition, toward the end of his life, Jacob was also deceived by the use of a dead goat, just as he had deceived his father Isaac. Jacob's sons dipped Joseph's coat of many colors in the blood of a goat to convince their father that his favorite son, whom they had sold, was dead. Jacob spent many years in grief, deceived as he had deceived others.
Martin G. Collins
The Law's Purpose and Intent
We cannot avoid judging. As the stock in trade of the mind, appraisals are inevitable. If we were witnesses to a flagrant violation of law in which innocent people were harmed, could we keep quiet because we are not to judge?
Does not Jesus command us to judge in verse 6? "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." Do we not have to judge who are "dogs" or "swine"? Considering verse 15 ("Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves"), do we not have to judge whether a man is a false minister? Do we not have to reject his teaching based on an appraisal of his fruits?
We must therefore take care to understand clearly what Jesus meant. He obviously did not mean we should not judge at all. Within the context of Luke 6:35-38, Jesus uses "Judge not, and you shall not be judged" to urge us to love our enemies, be merciful, forgiving, and generous. This very greatly modifies Matthew's account, showing that "Judge not . . ." is a warning against self-righteous severity, sharp-tongued criticism, and condemnation. Thus, it is not a command to be absolutely neutral and tolerant regarding moral issues, but a warning to be careful and loving when we judge. We can apply this admonishment to Romans 14:10-13 and James 4:11-12 as well.
There are practical reasons why Jesus would advise us about this. Of prime importance is that even though it is important that we judge rightly, it is even more important that we do not usurp the place of God! "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand" (Romans 14:4).
Paul begins this letter to the Romans calling himself a servant of Jesus Christ. He reminds us that we are all His servants (verses 7-8). A servant does not have the same rights and responsibilities as a master. Though we are permitted the right of making an appraisal of conduct, we are not permitted the right of passing judgment upon a fellow servant. A fellow servant does not stand or fall at the bar of our judgment. The only judgment that matters is the judgment of our mutual Master. If He is satisfied or displeased, He will act in His good time and in His way. To usurp His responsibility is an act of sheer presumption.
This in no way means we cannot approach a brother to inquire about and understand his conduct so that we might know whether our appraisal is correct. Assuming that our intent in questioning him is for his good, why would we even approach him? Would it not be because our evaluation of his conduct had led us to conclude—yes, to judge—that he was in serious moral or spiritual trouble?
John W. Ritenbaugh
Judgment, Tolerance, and Correction
Years ago, a minister of my acquaintance gave a sermonette in which he suggested that every time we had car problems, we should try to find a constructive spiritual parallel or analogy. Perhaps bald tires could represent a lack of faith, or low oil on the dipstick, a lack of Holy Spirit. In that spirit, when we see spiritual faults in others, we should convert them into mirrors, examining our own spiritual progress and looking for similar things in ourselves that grieve God's Holy Spirit.
While living in Texas, I drove Interstate 20 five days a week between mile-markers 565 and 614, and I noted all kinds of disgusting driving behaviors, including tailgating, cutting others off, excessive slowness, excessive speed, aggression, and timidity. People shook their fists at me in rage for not going fast enough and also for going too fast!
Yet, when I was late for an appointment, I become similarly annoyed and frustrated about people driving at a snail's pace. When a tailgater followed me too closely, my carnal nature urged me to step on the brakes and give him a good scare. The strange thing about these rude behaviors is that when I do the same despicable things to other people, they do not seem nearly as offensive.
Seeing our behaviors—good or bad—mirrored in someone else is something every parent has experienced. How many parents have ever said, “Just wait until you become a parent. You'll know exactly the way I feel”? We parents, for good or bad, transfer our values and our ways of doing things to our offspring.
David F. Maas
Specks as Mirrors
"Do not judge." What does it mean? Most Bible commentators agree that He is warning us about a faultfinding spirit, a negative attitude that causes us to pick at others for the things we do not like in them. A word that sums it up is criticism.
Criticism is a way of life for us, an integral part of our society. We have movie critics, music critics, art critics, literary critics, sports critics, dance critics, drama critics, and even wine critics. There are associations of critics and award programs for critics. As a society, we seem to be obsessed with criticizing the weaknesses and mistakes of others, living and dead, convinced that it is the right thing to do. After all, it is our way of life.
We try to remake our mates and shape up our children by criticism, and we bring that same mentality into the church. We criticize others who do not measure up to our expectations. Many find fault with church leaders for not doing things the way we want them to be done. And we keep telling ourselves that it is the right thing to do. After all, it is our way of life.
Why did Jesus tell us not to point out in condemnation the faults of others? Is He assuming that most of us have a tendency to do it? He knows our hearts, and since it is one of the most common sins among Christians, He knows we all need this reminder to some degree. Sometimes we are not even aware we are harshly criticizing others because we have become so used to hearing it and giving it. In fact, it can become such a common practice that we might wonder what else there is to talk about other than constantly discussing the flaws of others!
But why do we do it? One reason for criticizing others could be our own feelings of inferiority, which surface in the form of pride. Attacking someone else is flattering to ourselves; it makes us feel superior. If we can show others where they fail to measure up, we feel we are a little smarter or better than they are in that area.
Another reason could be envy or jealousy. We may be jealous because someone else is getting more attention than we are. Or we may envy someone's position or rank, thinking that we would be better at the job that they were given to do.
Why is criticism such a foolish habit? For one thing—and it is a big thing—criticism of this nature is sinful. It is the opposite of love because it arises out of impure motives. It attempts to emphasize one's own righteousness at the expense of someone else's reputation. On the other hand, love is reluctant to believe the worst and is hopeful of the best in others:
Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (I Corinthians 13:4-7, New American Standard Version)
We criticize because of our impatience with others. Criticizing is certainly not being kind, and it is often provoked by envy and jealousy. We do it sometimes to exalt ourselves above others, which is arrogance. Criticism is unbecoming and rude. All of this is the opposite of love. The apostle Peter tells us that love seeks to conceal unrighteousness, not expose it (I Peter 4:8).
Another reason it is such a foolish habit is that it distorts our perspective. Satan is the originator of criticism. The first example of this is in the Garden of Eden, when Satan criticized God to Eve, which caused her perspective of God to be distorted, deceiving her into sin. Then Adam's perspective of God was also distorted, and he sinned. Man has been paying for it ever since.
Numbers 12 contains an example of how God reacts to the criticism of His anointed leader. "Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married" (Numbers 12:1, NET). The verb of this sentence, "spoke," is feminine, hinting that Miriam is the chief critic. Her condemnation of her brother, Moses, distorts Aaron's perspective of him, resulting in division in the family and the congregation. The siblings, envious of Moses' leadership, use another incident—his marriage to a Gentile—to criticize him. Often the immediate criticism is simply a surface issue covering a deeper matter, which comes out in verse 2: "They said, 'Has the LORD only spoken by Moses? Has he not also spoken by us?' And the LORD heard it."
God's reaction is swift and harsh (Numbers 12:5-11, 13-15). Miriam's criticism not only led her and Aaron to sin, but it also affected the entire camp, delaying the journey to the Promised Land. This should make us wonder: Does criticism within the church stunt our growth toward the Kingdom of God? It surely does, pitting brother against brother, producing division and offense, and perhaps causing a vulnerable brother to fall away.
Instead of criticizing others, we need to engage in some honest self-criticism. We have plenty of faults of our own; there is no need to look for them in others. So, whenever we are tempted to pick at a fault in someone else, we need to pray as David does in Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV): "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Clyde Finklea
Criticism: The Foolish Habit
Jesus warns us that we will receive the same kind of judgment that we make of others. Do we really want that? That warning ought to sober any thinking person! Do we really believe God when He gives us such a stern warning?
Jesus adds another warning: Our judgment may be distorted because we may have a flaw of far greater magnitude in us than the flaw we observe so critically in our brother. The unspoken intimation is that because the flaw is ours, and we love ourselves, we are willing to be lenient in our self-judgment. By focusing our criticism on another, it enables us to avoid scrutinizing ourselves carefully and critically. Some enjoy correcting others because it makes them feel virtuous, compensating for failures in themselves that they have no desire to face. But the judgment we make about others is in reality the judgment we will receive from God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Judgment, Tolerance, and Correction
"Be careful," He says. "You are stepping into a minefield when you begin to judge your brother!" Because the dangers are hidden, minefields are especially deadly, and judging beyond our area of authority is just as dangerous. If we ignore the warning and continue pressing forward, judging beyond our authority will blow up in our faces, ripping us to shreds!
Why are we warned so strongly against judging others? In The Complete Word Study Dictionary, p. 892, Spiros Zodhiates writes, explaining the difference between the words krites and dikastes (both meaning "judge"):
Krites, as used of God (Hebrews 10:30; 12:23; James 4:12) involves the inherent power to discern the character of a person. Similarly it is an attribute of Christ in the same manner as it is an attribute of God (Acts 10:42; II Timothy 4:8; James 5:9). On the human level, a krites is one who makes a judgment as to the character and actions of others without receiving such appointment from someone [i.e. God did not give us the authority] whereas dikastes implies a responsibility attributed by society and others. Therefore dikastes is more of a forensic term, a judicial judge, while krites is one who uses his subjective criteria to evaluate others.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Judging Our Brothers
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Matthew 7:2:
2 Chronicles 15:1-2
Matthew 5:23-24
1 Corinthians 5:12-13
James 1:22-25
James 2:12-13
Revelation 6:5-6
