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Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Darrell Darnell. My favorite courtroom drama as a kid was The People’s Court with Judge Wapner. And I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living.
If you’ve been listening to SILY for a while then you know that the first Monday of the month is always a faith-focused episode. Several times this year I’ve used these episodes to dive below the surface on Bible passages that are controversial or commonly misunderstood. Today will be another one of those episodes and you may have already figured out the passage I’ll be covering based on my fun fact.
I would guess that John 3:16 is the most commonly known and quoted Bible verse, but perhaps the passage at the forefront of today’s episode would place second on that list. Today we’re looking at Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” We see this verse thrown out all the time.
I typically see it used by non-church or non-Christian people toward Christian people when they feel like Christians are judging them, typically by proclaiming something in their life is sinful. The sentiment is essentially that the Bible tells the Christian not to judge, therefore, the Christian is wrong when they proclaim something as sin or tell someone they should repent.
Is that what this passage is saying? It seems pretty clear, right?
As I always say, we have to look at context in order to fully understand. That MAY be what this passage is teaching but we shouldn’t ASSUME that is what this passage is teaching. When looking at context, there are three things to consider.
First, we need to consider when the passage was written and who it was written to. In this case, the verse is a quote from Jesus, so we need to also consider who he was speaking to. Remember in episode 653 when we looked at the West Wing clip, we talked about how important it was to consider that the audience for some of those passages was old testament Jews and not today’s culture. That is an example of what I mean by looking at the intended audience as part of this exercise.
Second, we must look at the surrounding verses. When we open up a Bible today we see each book divided into chapters and verses. However, none of the books were written this way. Chapters and verses were added later. So we must look at all the surrounding verses in order to make sure we aren’t cherry picking a piece of scripture and twisting it to mean something other than its intended meaning.
Third, we need to read other passages in the Bible that address the same topic, so that we can gain a full understanding of what the Bible has to say about a specific topic. In our example today, there are many other passages that deal with the topic of judging and discernment, so we should examine those to gain a deeper and more accurate understanding.
With these principles in mind, let’s dig in and find out what the Bible teaches on this topic.
The first type of context we’ll examine is to understand the intended audience of the passage in question.
The book of Matthew was written by one of the 12 disciples, Matthew, about 20-25 after Jesus’ resurrection. It was written for Jewish people as a way to help them understand Jesus was the fulfillment of old testament prophecies and was the messiah. Having said that, it is a book that is very much intended to serve the same purpose to those who do not have a Jewish background.
Also, let’s look at who is being spoken to in the specific verse. The words of Matthew 7:1 are spoken by Jesus. As a general rule, if Jesus said it, it applies to Christians today. Jesus is speaking to a large crowd, so he’s teaching truths that should be practiced by his followers.
The second piece of context is to look at surrounding verses. We can do this in a few layers. In some cases, we need to look at the entire book. Many of the new testament books were written as one continuous letter to a specific group of believers, so it’s important to look at the entire book for context.
While I would always encourage you to look first at the entire book for context just to be safe, in this case that won’t be necessary. Many Bibles today have sub-headings that have been added so that you can better understand how different passages should be grouped together for context. Those are good, but not perfect for our exercise here.
In this case, chapter 7 is part of a large discourse by Jesus commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. That discourse starts with Matthew chapter 5 and continues through Matthew Chapter 7. So it’s important in this case to examine the entire sermon in order to gain understanding of the larger context.
For the sake of time and brevity, today we’re going to zoom in a bit more and only look at the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks about judging. For this, we’ll examine Matthew 7:1-5 which says:
“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 sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Interesting, right? Jesus said a whole lot more here than simply telling people not to judge.
Finally, we should examine other new testament passages to learn more context on what the Bible teaches on this topic.
In John chapter 7 Jesus said, “Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul instructs the believers in the Macedonian city of Thessalonica, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
In 2 Timothy chapter 4 Paul teaches, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
There are many, many other verses we could consider, but for the sake of time I’ll just include one more from 1 Corinthians chapter 5 where Paul says, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you.”
Here’s what I learned.
When we pull Jesus’ words from Matthew chapter 7 out of context like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, we miss the profound wisdom Jesus is actually teaching us about discernment, accountability, and love.
The problem isn’t that people quote this verse; it’s that they often stop reading right there rather than continuing on to read his full teaching, which actually paints a complete picture of what righteous judgment looks like.
Notice that after Jesus tells us not to judge, he adds, “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.”
Notice something crucial here – Jesus doesn’t say “never remove the speck.” He says to deal with your own log first, then you’ll be able to see clearly to help your brother. This isn’t a prohibition against all judgment; it’s a call for self-examination and humility before we attempt to help others. It’s the difference between performing surgery with dirty hands versus washing up first.
The key word here is “hypocrite” – someone who acts in contradiction to their stated beliefs. Jesus is warning against the kind of judgment that comes from pride, self-righteousness, and a lack of self-awareness. When we approach others with genuine love and humility, having first examined our own hearts, we can actually help them see more clearly.
This brings us to John 7:24, where Jesus says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” Wait a minute – didn’t Jesus just tell us not to judge? Here we see that Jesus isn’t categorically condemning all forms of judgment. He’s distinguishing between superficial, hypocritical judgment and righteous discernment based on truth and love.
The context matters enormously. In John 7, Jesus is addressing religious leaders who were judging him based on external factors like his hometown and formal education, rather than examining the truth of his words and the fruit of his ministry. They were guilty of exactly what he warned about in Matthew 7:1 – judging without proper self-examination and with incorrect motives.
Paul addresses this balance beautifully in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.” Here’s where many Christians get confused – we often have it backwards. We’re quick to judge those outside the church while turning a blind eye to sin within our own communities.
Paul is teaching that the church has a responsibility for accountability among believers, while leaving the judgment of non-believers to God. This isn’t about being harsh or legalistic; it’s about creating communities where truth and grace work together to help people grow in their faith and character. This is all about working together in humility to spur one another toward maturity.
What Jesus condemns isn’t discernment or accountability – it’s the spirit of condemnation that comes from pride, self-righteousness, and a lack of love. When we judge others while ignoring our own sin, when we use Scripture as a weapon rather than a tool for healing. When we approach others with superiority rather than humility, we’ve missed the heart of Christ entirely.
So how do we live this out practically? First, we must regularly examine our own hearts and motives. Before we address sin in someone else’s life, we need to ask ourselves hard questions: Am I approaching this with love or irritation? Am I motivated by their good or my own sense of superiority? Have I dealt with similar issues in my own life?
Second, we need to understand the difference between judging actions and judging hearts. We can observe behavior and evaluate it against biblical standards without claiming to know someone’s eternal destiny or the condition of their heart. God alone knows the heart.
Third, we must remember that our goal is always restoration, not condemnation. When we address sin, it should be like a surgeon’s knife – precise, necessary for healing, and used only when we have the skill and authority to do so effectively.
As followers of Christ, we’re called to hold both grace and truth in tension. We can’t abandon discernment in the name of tolerance, nor can we abandon love in the name of truth. Like a tightrope walker, we must carefully balance both as we seek to honor God and serve others.
When someone is caught in sin, our response should mirror Galatians 6:1: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” The goal is always restoration, and the attitude should always be gentle humility.
The world is watching how Christians handle judgment and accountability. They’ve seen too much of the harsh, condemning kind and not enough of the loving, restorative kind. When we get this right – when we judge righteously with love and humility – we reflect the heart of Christ and create space for real transformation to occur.
So the next time someone throws Matthew 7:1 at you, don’t retreat into silence about truth and righteousness. Instead, help them see the fuller picture that Jesus painted – a picture where love and truth work together, where we can be both caring and honest, and where the ultimate goal is always restoration rather than condemnation. Because when we learn to judge as Jesus taught us to judge, we become instruments of his healing in a world that desperately needs both truth and grace working side by side.
I’m Darrell Darnell, and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
I want you to be a part of the next Monday Mailbag later this month on September 29th! Monday Mailbag is your opportunity to Share what YOU’VE learned, so that other listeners and I can learn from YOU. It can be a message as short as 30 seconds or several minutes long. It really doesn’t matter just as long as it’s something that will benefit others. You can send in questions or responses to my SILY episodes, and I’ll respond to them via Monday Mailbag episodes. You can participate in Monday Mailbags by visiting the Golden Spiral Media listener feedback page at goldenspirlamedia.com/feedback.