Luke 6:37-42
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
41 “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? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 6:15
Forgiving Others
15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Jesus teaches us that the measure we use to judge others is the same measure that will be given to us by God when He judges us...Jesus is not telling us not to judge the Truth or moral issues...Because in reality if there is no Absolute Moral One how would anyone judge anything...He wants us to be courteous, loving, sincere, and to think about our own faults when we judge others...Instead of judging others and being judgmental, let us be more forgiving...
Man is often prejudiced by our his own biases, when we think of others...Sometimes we judge others by the color of their skin, the way they dress, the music they listen to, the job they have, the car they drive, the type and age of the house one lives in...Material wealth and personal treasure(s) can cause others to judge those not as blessed or as fortunate as they are...When we judge, we sometimes are saying I do not like the color of your skin, I do not like how you dress, I do not like your music, why can't you get a different or better job, or a different or better automobile?...Why couldn't you be more successful?...When we think like this, we are thinking -why can't you be more like me...
In this type of thinking, we are comparing ourselves to others, and not really loving others (or our neighbors)...We are making ourselves judgmental, and in a sense a judge...We are telling people in a sense -you should live more like I live...Or you should be more like me...Instead of judging, and competing with, and comparing ourselves to others, we should look at what Jesus teaches us about forgiving...Forgiveness is linked to judging others, but in a positive way...If we are always forgiving others (and Jesus told us to forgive others at least seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22)), we can't be always judging our neighbors...Forgiving is a quality that is being nice and kind to others...While judging others is being harsh and critical of others...
When we make forgiveness a part of our lives, we understand more of what Jesus taught...Jesus teaches us to be nice and courteous, but He wants us to have a special relationship with God...And when we forgive others, God is there forgiving us, and thus in our lives...