“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of dust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7: 1-3). These words are written in Bible about not judging others. Considering that this verse so well known to Christians, it seems that very little can be added to it. Everything is clear and understandable. That’s only the problems begin at a time when life puts us before the need to fulfill it.
Judging others is a Christian problem
It would seem, who, if not a Christian should be as far from any convictions as possible. But the practice shows that this particular vice is the most common among believers. At first glance, everything is straightforward – do not judge anyone and you will not be judged. Quickly realizing this requirement, you can no longer return to it. And what if you try to follow Christ’s commandment in absolute accuracy for one or two days? Do not just keep this place in mind, but watch out so that you can not break it in one word. Do you think it will be possible for you?
One woman in a conversation with her friend said: “That sister always condemns everyone, it’s impossible to live like this for a Christian!” I want to involuntarily ask the question: ” You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”(Rom. 2: 1). That is not my words, but verse from Bible about not judging others.
Of course, we can not discuss anything at all. However, in Job 36:17 it is said, “Judgment and condemnation are near.” That is, we should always stay awake in words, so as not to accidentally condemn, anyone else!
One person, who calls himself a particularly enlightened Christian, said that God revealed to him about all Christian teachings. He can name all the errors and heresies that are present in other churches. Asked why he is so sure of his rightness, he answered, distorting the meaning of the words of the apostle: “I, as a spiritual, can judge everything, but no one can judge me, because I am spiritual.”
Once three people, caught at night in the field, saw a lonely traveler. “This is a thief and went out to work at night” – thought the first. “Apparently, this person is going on a date” – decided the second. “Undoubtedly, this stranger keeps his way to the neighboring city to celebrate the great Christian holiday in the morning,” the third traveler reasoned. It’s easy to guess that each of them measured his yardstick of a lone poor man. The same thing happens in spiritual and everyday life when we evaluate the actions of people around us.
It turns out that on closer examination the ban on convictions becomes extremely difficult and almost impossible. Why is everything so complicated? Let’s take a look what say Bible about not judging others.
Judging others as a vice
Dear brothers and sisters! The thing is that living in an earthly body, and we come to ourselves and others with completely different standards. That’s why Christ talks about an abnormal situation when a person with a log in his eye tries to remark to someone who has a speck of dust in his eye!
Despite the paradoxical nature of this phenomenon, almost all of us are just such people. Judging others is an ideal solution that holds our vices in a mighty wall. This very wall closes the access of the gospel light to our soul, and until we are freed from such a heavy burden, there can not be any spiritual growth, but only destruction and gradual slipping into the abyss of sin!
Judging others, like pride, is a sin of a purely spiritual nature, and this is all its cunning. A person who stole something is guilty since he has done a crime. The same applies to a fornicator, an evildoer or a deceitful person. What to do with a Christian who goes twice a week to the Church, is engaged in singing or studying the Word and there is, apparently, a lack of spirituality. One trouble! This soul will see how someone is not dressed in such clothes, or acted ugly, or said too much – and already cannot resist not to condemn such.
Dear friends, if today everyone realized that it’s as scary as to sign another’s judgment as to sign your own verdict! It is written: “With what judgment you judge, you will be judged.” This means that the more scrupulously, in detail and meticulously I investigate and condemn someone else’s problem today, just as tomorrow they will examine and judge me.
Judging others is a sign of spiritual blindness
Let’s read what verses from Bible about not judging others. When the prophet Nathan came to David, he told him the following: “There were two people in one city, one rich, and the other poor; the rich man had a lot of small and large livestock, and the poor had nothing but one sheep that he bought a small and fattened, and she grew up with him with his children; from her bread she ate, and drank from his cup, and slept on his breast, and was for him as a daughter; and a wanderer came to the rich man, and he wished to take from his sheep or oxen to cook for the stranger who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who came to him. David was very angry with this man and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives!” the person who did this is worthy of death; and for the lamb, he must pay four times, because he did it, and because he did not have compassion. And Nathan said to David, “You are that man” (2 Sam.12: 1-7)
Notice that David was furious. It seems that his anger was just and justified. Indeed, the rich man did extremely badly. However, at the moment of the most serious condemnation, everyone should be ready for the words: “You are that man!”
It has long been known that we humans are more inclined to notice in others such vices that are present in ourselves! Therefore, when it seems to us that someone has too high a view of themselves, it is worth asking: Is not I proud? When we think that someone is acting unworthily, it is worthwhile to understand your own behavior.
And yet, pay attention to one crucial thing! David, being a very wise and savvy person, absolutely could not see himself in a more prosperous, wealthier man. In other words, at the moment of condemnation, we do not see anyone, except for whom we direct our “righteous” indignation. And the Scripture says: “Examine yourselves, whether in the faith you are; Examine yourselves “(2 Cor. 13: 5)
As an example of a soul that judges others, the following story can be cited. One family was forced by circumstances to relocate. Arriving in a new house, they put their orders there and sat down to rest. However, looking out of the window, his wife was surprised to notice that her neighbor hung dry clothes in dirty spots. Expressing her anger, and discussing in detail the stupidity, laziness, and mismanagement of a neighbor, the woman fell silent.
The same story lasted for several days. Hardly having noticed dirty linen which dried on a courtyard, the newly appeared mistress again and again started to argue about the negligence of the neighbor. On another sunny day, closer to noon, the woman exclaimed, addressing her husband: – Look, today, finally, the laundry is spotless! To which her husband replied: “No, just today I got up early in the morning, and washed our windows thoroughly!
This happens in most of our cases. We tend to judge other people’s vices without noticing that it is this problem that lives in us in triple form. And in general, Paul says: “Who are you, condemning another’s slave? Before his Lord, he stands or falls. And he will be rebuilt, for God is able to raise him up “(Romans 14: 4). This is one more verse from Bible about not judging others.
Bible about not judging others: “Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather judge how not to give your brother a chance to stumble or be tempted” (Romans 14:13)
Thus, we are directly told that being in the hospital and ill with pneumonia, it’s not serious to comment on a person who came to the same hospital with a slight poisoning. Who are you, that you judge other, even when he falls? Oh, if we always had these words in our heart. May God save us from judging others!
Bible about not judging others but if they judge us?
Everything we said above was attributed to those who judge others. But what about when someone condemns us? Considering that we entirely trust the Holy Scripture, the truth expressed by Christ remains unchallenged: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” And it’s not about not in a sincere conversation with your friend not to condemn someone, but in general, not to judge, that is, even in the heart or in your mind!
As the ancient men used to say, before you blame anyone for anything, shave his shoes, walk his path, stumble over all his stones and transfer all the hardships he suffered! Surely after this, we will not want to condemn the one who was terribly guilty in our eyes a minute ago! But every person, one way or another, is guilty of the sin of condemnation.
We also need to hear from time to time that one of the acquaintances has started a wrong rumor about us or condemns our actions, not knowing what they are caused. All this is unpleasant, and sometimes people lose peace in their hearts and suffer significantly from such gossip. The wise Solomon says: “Not on every word that is spoken, pay attention, so that your servant does not hear you when he slanders you; for your heart knows many occasions when you also cursed others “(Ecclesians 7:21-22)
And anyway, if you understand, everyone can remember when he judged someone. Why are we so painfully reacting when we hear that we are being decided in detail and carefully, as we were once?
One day in my childhood, a sultry afternoon, I, a five-year-old child, wandered around the yard. Then a good neighbor, drove up, who always drove us, a crowd of children, on a motorcycle with a stroller. Loving children and being extraordinarily attentive, he pointed me to an exhaust pipe that glistened in the sun and said: “She’s very hot, do not touch her.” However, as soon as he entered the house, I ran to the motorcycle and touched my barefoot to the forbidden pipe. In one second, having received a burn from the hot metal, I spun on the spot, and that was strong, flew home.
Question: can I condemn someone in my burn? It was apparently said – do not touch. We, too, cannot be offended when we hear of these or other gossips in our address, as it is said: “Do not judge, so you will not be judged.” Let’s look for more words in Bible about not judging others.
Paul, being a holy man, said this: “It means very little to me how you judge me or how other people judge; I myself do not judge myself. For although I do not know anything about myself, I do not justify myself; But the Lord is my judge. Therefore, judge no time before the Lord comes, who will illuminate the hidden things in the darkness and discover the heart’s intentions, and then everyone will have praise from God “(1 Corinthians 4:3-5). This is one more illustration verse from Bible about not judging others.
That is, even in the life that seems to us that we are living worthy of the Christian title, we can hear about ourselves unfair and condemning rumors. Let the words of Paul be the consolation for us.
Conclusion
As much as it would be desirable, that from the mouth of Christians never was heard the slightest condemnation in the address of even the worst people. The ancient Jewish wisdom says: “Justify everyone.” This means that you do not need to seek confirmation of your bad thoughts about a person, but, on the contrary, cares about understanding it and justifying it in your heart. The Savior Himself, being on the cross, seemed to justify the angry crowd, asking God to forgive them, because they simply do not understand what they are doing! Let the words of Christ become a guiding star for us in every conversation: “… you will be justified from your words, and by your words, you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). Trust the verses in Bible about not judging others.
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