“Do not judge, lest you be judged:” that’s probably the most quoted verse in the Bible these days. It is thrown in the face of anyone who would dare to presume the existence of any absolute moral standards, and it is used to justify so many people’s craving for complete individual autonomy. So, is Jesus really saying what the modern world wants to hear, that everyone should be his or her own judge?

In a word, no. For in verse 6 of the same passage, Jesus also speaks of what is holy and precious, contrasting it with the dogs and swine who have no regard for it. He even predicts the vicious way in which those who reject God’s righteous rule will treat those who seek to live according to God’s perfect law of love. And He couldn’t make such a contrast without making some pretty clear judgments about what is true and about who is willing to recognize that truth.

So, what is Jesus saying in verse 1? Not that there should be no judges, but that we ourselves are spectacularly unsuited to perform such a role. After all, we are all sinners, and that means that not only our judgment but also our perspective has been warped and twisted. As a result, we are often spectacularly unaware of our own faults, even while we are all too eager to point out the foibles of others.

So, what are we supposed to do about this? Look again at verse 5: we are called to confession and repentance, to recognize and admit the sin in our lives that thus distorts the way we look at the world. But once we have been forgiven, once our vision has at least been partially restored, we are called to help others through the same process, humbly holding up the Word of God to them in the same way that we submit ourselves to its authority, and encouraging them to recognize God’s absolute right to govern all of our thoughts and actions.

In short, we are not called to sit in judgment on anyone else. But we are called to sit under the authority of Christ, the only true judge, and to call others to do the same thing. That’s not exactly what the modern world wants to hear, is it?

Matthew 7:1-6 (NASB)

“Do not judge lest you be judged.
2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3 “And 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?
4 “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?
5 “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.
6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.