Judge Not

In this society of tolerance the only thing that cannot be tolerated is intolerance. How often the christians are silenced from speaking about the evils in this world by the invocation of those magical words, "Do not judge". This invocation most often comes from those who would not think twice about judging you. After all, isn't it a judgement call to say that you are guilty of judging someone else? I see this tactic very often when talking to pro-choicers about abortion. They tell me not to judge the actions of the woman who has an abortion. But are they really invoking Jesus' words? What does the entire passage say?



Matthew 7:1-5 says "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment that 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."



Jesus tells us to make sure we are clean first before we take on the role of judging other's actions. But that does not mean that we are never to judge. So long as I am not guilty of hypocracy I am free to lovingly judge the actions of those around me. The bible speaks often of judment beginning at home.



1 Peter 4:17 "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"



We are told that judgement begins with God's people first, then to the rest of the world. As it pertains to abortion, I am not guilty of aborting my child nor am I guilty of coercing my partner to abort my child. Being that this "beam" is not in my own eye, I can see clearly that the speck still exists in my brother's eye. My duty is to try to remove the speck from my brother's eye.



The bible not only has no commission to avoid judgement, it rather commands that we do judge.

Matthew 18:15-17 "If your brother sins against you, 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 charge may be established 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."



Matthew 7:15-16a "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits."



We are told to judge with discernment in order to protect the church from false prophets. We are told to check ourselves to make sure we are free of guilt, but once having made our own eye clean we are to use that clean eye to help our brother remove the speck from his eye. We are called to judge as christians.

Don't let these futile attempts by the half-hearted deter you from your commision. We should protect the innocent. We should judge those who will not listen to the call of God in order to bring them to repentance and right standing before God. In the usual case where the pro-choicer likes to evoke this cry against judgement, we are to cast judgement on the woman who make a foolish decision to kill her unborn. Casting judgement does not mean we cast sentance on her, that is for God to do. We are to cast judgement in order to help this poor woman find her way again, whether she is contemplating abortion, has already committed abortion, or is suffering from an abortion long ago. Judgement is compassion at it's highest.