Matthew 7:1 is perhaps one of the most quoted verses of the bible by those who want to accuse Christians of hypocrisy. Perhaps it sounds best in the authorised version. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." And God knows that we need to be shown our hypocrisy. We often try to remove the specks in the eyes of others, blind to the planks in our own eye.
Having said that, this verse is often misunderstood. It is assumed that Jesus saying that judgement is bad per se. Such a view ignores not only God's piercing judgement in the Old Testament on individuals (Joshua 7) and even on the whole world (Genesis 7); but such a view also ignores the same chapter of Matthew for Jesus himself foretells a day when He himself will judge.
"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in you name perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
We are not to judge, not because judgement is bad, but because we are bad judges and we would not like to be judged the way we judge others. We are not to judge because Jesus is the perfect righteous judge.
When we feel that we have been treated unfairly by others or even by God himself we would do well to remember that we cannot see as he sees, and appeal to his justice (Psalm 7) and to his tenderness towards we who are weak (Job 7).
Why is Jesus the only appropriate human judge? Because unlike us he is God with Us, who at all times rejected the wrong and chose the right. (Isaiah 7:14-16). He can therefore, as holy God and perfect man be not only the judge, but also the eternal priest who can help us, who so clearly deserve God's judgment. (Hebrews 7)
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