It is easy to judge someone, isn’t it? It is so easy to quickly assess, conclude, and condemn. It is often not shocking enough to us how easy it is to do this. On top of that, it is sobering how justified we can feel in our judgments. It is as if we know what is in the heart of the one we judge. We also have no problem applying our standard to these situations, though often, we hold ourselves to something less than that standard. How easy it is to be a hypocrite!
As I read the Sermon on the Mount this morning, this section stood out to me. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 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? 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? 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. (Matthew 7:1–5, ESV)
It takes great humility to effectively reach out and help a fellow believer without falling prey to pride, assumption, and self-righteousness. Before judging someone, we should have first come to a place of conviction and repentance for failures much larger in our lives—that are convenient to overlook—before attempting to point out that speck in someone else’s life. Imagine if we all practiced our Christianity this way; what effect it would have on the kingdom of Heaven! May we all remember what Jesus said at the beginning of His sermon: Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7, KJV)
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Matthew 5-7.