Right and Wrong Way to Judge

Self-Righteous Judgment

I would like to preface this by saying Jesus is referring to our individual judgment of others.  He is not talking about judges in courts or other positions of authority where judgments have to be made regarding people.

Jesus commands that we not judge self-righteously. Self-righteous judgement seeks to elevate the judge and condemn the one being judged. When a person looks down on another person then they are judging self-righteously.

The word Judge in the Greek is krino it means to form a critical opinion of something by examination or scrutiny. When we seek out to criticize a person for the sake of pointing out a flaw or mistake for the purpose of hurting that person then we are judging in a wrong way.

The Pharisees and religious elite of Jesus day were masters at self-righteous judgment. They would take the commands of God and shape them and add to them in a way that they could condemn other Israelites that were not religiously astute. The Pharisees believed they were above everyone else.

Jesus says that those who self-righteously judge will be judged by God by the same standard. William Barclay says:

Matthew, vols. 1-4:The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: An Erroneous View of Others

God has no double standards. In criticizing unjustly or condemning unmercifully, we play God and give the impression that we ourselves are above criticism and judgment. But God sets none of us as final judge above others, and we dare not set ourselves as judge above others. Other people are not under us, and to think so is to have the wrong view of them. To be gossipy, talebearing, critical, and judgmental is to live under the false illusion that those whom we so judge are somehow inferior to us

Four ways we self-righteously judge

Condemnation vs. Compassion:

Self-righteous judgment prioritizes condemnation over understanding or empathy.

This involves:

Focusing on perceived flaws rather than recognizing shared humanity.

Lacking a willingness to offer grace or forgiveness.

Judging Intentions:

People often judge others actions, and assume they know the others intent behind those actions.

Where as they judge themselves by their intentions.

Using Social Media:

Social media provides a platform where people can very easily judge others from a distance. Often times people will make very harsh judgments about others, that they would never make in person.

Hypocrisy:

This is where individuals judge others for behaviors they themselves engage in.

It involves:

Holding others to stricter standards than oneself.

Focusing on the "speck" in another's eye while ignoring the "log" in one's own.

Hypocritical Judgment

Matthew 7:3–4 NASB95

“Why do you look at 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,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?

The faults we see in other people are typically the very things we are guilty of ourselves. We don’t like them in ourselves and so they are easy to point out in others. It makes us feel better about ourselves to point out the very flaws that plague us. Rom. 2:1-4

Romans 2:1–4 NASB95

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

God is only the one who can judge perfectly. We have no reason to put ourselves in the place of God. There is no way that we can fully understand the entirety of a situation to make a perfect judgment. Only God can do this

Four Reasons we Hypocritically Judge

The tendency to judge others while engaging in the same behaviors is a complex human phenomenon with roots in several factors. Here's a breakdown of some key reasons:

1. Lack of Self-Awareness:

Blind Spots:

People often have blind spots regarding their own behavior. It's easier to see flaws in others than to recognize them in ourselves.

This can be due to defense mechanisms that protect our self-image.

This is the plank in our own eye.

Cognitive Dissonance:

When our actions contradict our beliefs, it creates discomfort. To reduce this dissonance, we might justify our own behavior while condemning the same behavior in others.

2. Feelings of Superiority and Insecurity:

Boosting Self-Esteem:

Judging others can create a temporary sense of superiority, boosting our self-esteem.

This is often a defense mechanism for underlying insecurities.

Social Comparison:

Humans naturally compare themselves to others. Judging can be a way to maintain a perceived sense of social standing.

3. Social Conditioning and Norms:

Learned Behavior:

We learn to judge from our environment, including family, peers, and society.

Social norms can dictate what behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable, leading to judgment of those who deviate.

Group Dynamics:

Judging others can strengthen group cohesion by creating an "us vs. them" mentality.

4. Cognitive Biases:

Fundamental Attribution Error:

This bias leads us to attribute others' behavior to their character while attributing our own behavior to external circumstances.

Confirmation Bias:

We tend to seek out and interpret information that confirms our existing beliefs, including our judgments of others.

Hypocritically judging others is sinful and will result in the judgement of ourselves.

No Judgement

The last incorrect way to judge is to not judge at all. This is on the other end of the spectrum from the first two wrong ways to judge. The first two ways to judge are hyper judgement or over judging. No judgment is just as condemning as hyper judging.

When we choose not to judge others and allow them to continue down paths of destruction, then we are not loving them as we should.

It feels good not to judge because by not doing so you avoid confrontation. Confrontation is uncomfortable but necessary. Confrontation for the purpose of correction is good confrontation.

To not judge is like a parent that never disciplines their child. That will ruin a child. They will grow up with no respect for authority and typically find themselves in bigger trouble than they would have been if they would have been confronted and disciplined.

People that are living in sin will quote this passage of scripture out of context. When they are confronted with their sin they will say that we should not judge them. They would be right if our motive is not restorative. They are wrong if our intent is redemption. We need to be in a place where we are not concerned about our rightness in the situation but their redemption in the situation.

Not judging others can also be harmful to us.

Three consequences of no judgement

Vulnerability to Exploitation:

A lack of judgment can sometimes make you more susceptible to manipulation or exploitation by those with malicious intent.

It can be difficult to set healthy boundaries if you avoid any form of critical evaluation.

Difficulty in Identifying Harmful Behavior:

Completely refraining from judgment can hinder your ability to recognize and address genuinely harmful behavior, whether in yourself or others.

There are instances where judging a situation or action is necessary for safety and well-being.

Potential for Enabling Negative Behavior:

In some cases, not judging can be perceived as condoning or enabling negative behavior, which can have detrimental consequences.

For example, if someone is being abusive, not judging their actions could be seen as condoning their behavior.

Right Judgment

Matthew 7:5 NASB95

“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.

Jesus points out that the purpose of our judgment should be restorative not punitive. In order to do this we must recognize our own sin so that we will not be tempted to self-righteously or hypocritically judge others. Understanding our own sin humbles us and drives us to a point of repentance. Once we reach this point of repentance. Once we have gotten to the place of repentance then we can lead someone else to that same place.

Our judgments should always be restorative.

Galatians 6:1 NASB95

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

John 7:24 NASB95

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Matthew 7:1 tells us that Jesus’ words, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” cannot mean that all of our judgments are wrong. Instead, Jesus wants us not to make wrong judgments. Let us not apply standards to others that we do not apply to ourselves. The religious authorities were guilty of using such inconsistent standards. By seeking to apply God’s law justly and holding others to the same standard to which we hold ourselves, we can judge with right judgment.

When we judge we are to have a motive of restoration and use the Word of God for our judgment. We must not use our opinions or our preferences when judging. We must use the word of God. So how do we do this?

Matthew 18:15–20 NASB95

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Titus 3:10 NASB95

Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,

2 Corinthians 2:5–11 NASB95

But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree—in order not to say too much—to all of you. Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.