The Context of Matthew 7:1

Matthew chapter seven starts with a very short, memorable command in the midst of a long sermon by Jesus:  “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  How does that fit into His message?  People turn it into a statement against judgment or judgmentalism.  But that is not what He was saying.

Jesus exposes His addressed audience, that it falls short of the glory of God.  And the glory of God is their standard according to Jesus.  “Be ye perfect as the Father is perfect,” He says (Matthew 5:48).

The crowd for Jesus thinks it’s okay because it hasn’t murdered anybody, but it really has murdered in the heart through its contempt for others.  It is proud of its giving, its prayer, and its fasting, even though it does these to be seen of men.  Its worry or anxiety about what it will eat or what it will wear means it does not seek first the kingdom of God.  Without the requisite poverty of spirit, it will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

How Judgment Fits the Context

Comparison

How could the crowd think it was so good?  How?  It compared itself to other men, that’s how.  But Jesus then debunked its false, self-righteous judgment of other men.  Even if His audience were held to an identical standard to which it judged others, it would still fall short.  It would still find itself failing before God’s holy judgment.  Evaluation of one’s self based upon the standard of other men doesn’t change God’s standard of judgment, just shows how self-deceived it is.

People’s own judgment very often becomes their standard of judgment.  That’s why they think they’re good.  I see this again and again in my evangelism.  Most people think they are good.  It doesn’t take long in comparing people to God for them to find they don’t stand up to Him.

Contrast

In the next verse, verse two, Jesus says:

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Jesus expands on verse one.  The Apostle Paul later makes a similar point in Romans 2:1-2:

1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

Jesus Recommends Judgment

Jesus wasn’t saying, “don’t judge at all.”  That’s easy to see.  That’s not even what He was talking about.  Even to make a righteous judgment of others, you can’t be or doing worse than the person you’re judging.  All of this exposes the hypocrisy of pseudo-judgment intended to signal virtue and vindicate self.  “I’m not as bad as the other guy, so there!”

When Jesus lays out judgment of any person upon any other person, it is for helping that other person.  He’s got a moat or a splinter in his eye and you can help him get it out.  If he’s beyond help, which we might assume starts with evangelism, Jesus gives an illustration for that.  Don’t give something holy to dogs and don’t cast pearls before swine.

In other words, Jesus recommends judgment.  He gives two priorities for judgment.  One, remove impediments of judgment before you start judging.  Two, don’t waste time and energy judging someone whom won’t listen to or use your wise judgment.  Good reasons exist for judgment.  Using the comparison with other men for self-vindication is not one of them.