Judge not
Check yourself first
The standard you use on others is the one used on you.
Key points
- What it means: Jesus doesn’t say never assess anything. He says deal with the beam in your own eye first, “and then you can see clearly” to help with the speck in someone else’s.
- Try this: Before giving anyone feedback this week, name one thing you would do differently yourself.
- The good news: The judge took your side. Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it.
What he said
“With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.”
Matthew 7:2
Find it: Matthew 7:1–5
Read Matthew 7:1–5
1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
What it means
Jesus doesn’t say never assess anything. He says deal with the beam in your own eye first, “and then you can see clearly” to help with the speck in someone else’s.
Judging is about posture: looking down on someone, assuming the worst, forgetting your own failures.
At work
- Good feedback culture: self-review first, assume good intent, critique the work and not the person.
- Leaders who admit their own mistakes get honest feedback back.
With people
- Before you share the screenshot or the story, ask how you would look under the same light.
The hard part
We still need judgment: who to trust, what is harmful. Jesus says in the same chapter you can know people by their fruit. Good judgment, yes; looking down on people, no.
Try this
Before giving anyone feedback this week, name one thing you would do differently yourself.
Go deeper
The good news
The judge took your side. Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it.
Nobody lives this perfectly. How to read it