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B y t h e B o o k
Judge Not?
By Jim Blackburn
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This Rock
Volume 18, Number 2
 February 2007 
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As an apologist at Catholic Answers I often get calls and e-mails from people dealing with
the immoral behavior of others who are close to them. They are unsure of what, if any,
action they can or should take in the matter.
Typical examples would be dealing with an adult child who’s living with her boyfriend or
coping with an adult sibling who has announced that he is gay. The callers often struggle
with whether to allow the child or sibling to practice the immoral lifestyle in their home.
Do I have to let them spend the night? What do I tell my kids? How do I deal with this in a
loving way? Can I truly love my neighbor while rejecting his immoral lifestyle?
Often people in these situations have tried to take some action already, only to be shot
down immediately with the accusation that they are being "judgmental," that the
Bible teaches us not to judge others, that they should just mind their own business.
"After all," they’re told, "I’m not judging you and you shouldn’t be judging
me. Read the Bible." But is that really what the Bible teaches?
When pressed to show where the Bible supports this, those who can come up with any
response at all usually point to Jesus’ words found in the Gospel of Matthew, "Judge
not, that you not be judged." Most people will stop there, with the clear conviction
that the Bible teaches that we are not to pass any form of judgment on others. A closer look
at this Bible verse and other related verses, however, uncovers a different understanding of
Jesus’ teaching.
First, let’s look at the full context of Jesus’ words:
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged,
and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 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. (Matt. 7:1-5)
If we break this passage down line by line, it becomes clear that Jesus was not telling his
disciples that they could not ever judge the behavior of others. Rather, he was cautioning
them to live righteous lives themselves so that their judgment of others’ behavior would not
be rash judgment and their efforts would be effective in admonishing their
neighbors.
"Judge not, that you be not judged." By itself, this statement could be
construed to mean that one may escape even God’s judgment simply by not judging the behavior
of others. Of course, everyone is judged by God, so this cannot be a proper understanding.
Jesus goes on to reformulate his statement in a positive way: "With the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get."
Jesus indeed expects his disciples to judge but he warns that they, too, will be judged in a
like manner.
This is reminiscent of the line in the Lord’s Prayer, "forgive us our trespasses as
we forgive those who trespass against us" (Matt. 6:12). Much more than a simple warning
that God will treat us as we treat others, this is an appeal to each of us to be as much as
we can like God in the way that we treat others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
explains, "there has to be a vital participation, coming from the depths of the heart,
in the holiness and the mercy and the love of our God. Only the Spirit by whom we live can
make ‘ours’ the same mind that was in Christ Jesus" (CCC 2842).
In the next two lines Jesus cautions against hypocrisy: "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?" Judging hypocritically is not effective. A petty thief admonished by a
bank robber only scoffs at his admonisher.
Jesus then explains how to judge rightly: "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." Much to the
point of this article, there can be no doubt that those final words—"take the speck out
of your brother’s eye"—are, indeed, permission to judge so long as it is done
rightly.
Other Bible passages which seem on the surface to indicate a condemnation of judging
others’ behavior may be treated similarly in their full context. The idea of rightly judging
the behavior of others can be found throughout the New Testament.
Jesus told the Jews, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right
judgment" (John 7:24).
He instructed his disciples what to do if someone sins against them:
Go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained
your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every
word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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. (Matt. 18:15-17)
It is not possible to follow Jesus’ instructions without being "judgmental" of
another’s behavior.
Paul, too, exhorted right judgment of other Christians: "For what have I to do with
judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those
outside. Drive out the wicked person from among you" (1 Cor. 5:12-13).
Also, "Do you not know that the saints [i.e. Christians] will judge the world? And
if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not
know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life!…Shun
immorality" (1 Cor. 6:2-18).
A look at the Old Testament reveals similar teaching: "You shall do no injustice in
judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness
shall you judge your neighbor" (Lev. 19:15).
Clearly, contrary to what many would prefer to believe, the Bible exhorts us to rightly
judge the behavior of others. The Catholic Church teaches likewise but cautions us just as
Jesus did the disciples:
Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to
cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:
- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient
foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults
and failings to persons who did not know them;
- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others
and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.
To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his
neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way: "Every good Christian ought
to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn
it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter
understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let
the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that
he may be saved." (CCC 2477-2478)
Having said all that, there is a big difference between judging another’s behavior and
judging the eternal state of his soul. The latter judgment belongs only to God. Jesus
addressed this type of judgment too:
The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son,
even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who
sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has
eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly,
truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of
the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he
has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute
judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when
all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to
the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. I
can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I
seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. (John
5:22-30) Clearly, in this context, Jesus was speaking of judgment as
condemnation or eternal damnation. Such judgment is reserved to him alone.
So, when faced with the immoral behavior of loved ones, how can we be sure to rightly
judge behavior? In Jesus’ own words, we must start by taking the logs out of our own eyes—by
making sure we are doing the best we can to live lives of good example. We must also strive
to form our consciences correctly so that we know sin when we see it. Finally, we must not
jump to conclusions about another’s culpability in sin. Doing all this will help to ensure
that our admonitions are seen as the loving actions we intend them to be—meant to help our
loved ones live their lives in ways that are pleasing to God. Only then can our efforts be
effective in helping to take these ugly specks out of our brothers’ eyes.
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