Judge Not

Call to Prayer

Title: Judge Not

By: Daniel Peter

Date: 28.12.2022

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven”  (Lk. 6:37 NRSV)

The Christian journey is one that begins with the forgiveness of our sins. This act of forgiveness by God is both an expression of His love towards us, and a basis of our love for Him and others (John 3:16, 1 John 4:19, Eph. 4:32). For this reason, to seek to understand the instructions of love is an activity of much profit in the Kingdom.

Several times in scriptures we read “judge not”, which is Love’s instruction. Many people have misunderstood this instruction to mean no one has the right to correct us or try to make us see that what we are doing is wrong. This has made people irresponsible in their actions, causing Christians to act wickedly without remorse. The word “judge” as used in the New Testament was translated from the Greek word “Krino”, which means “to distinguish” or “to decide”. We make decisions (judgments) every day: from the choice of clothes to wear to each step we take when walking. When we recognise the voice of God and act on it, we are Judging. Also, we judge when we come to recognise and accept His truth. We live by making judgements, therefore, taking the instruction “judge not” literally is not practical. What then did Jesus mean when He said “judge not”?

Jesus’ ministry, during His earthly walk, was among the Jewish people. Being that He was setting up the instructions for the New Testament Church, many times we witness a clash between the Jews, who were supposedly living by the laws of Moses (the Old Covenant), and Himself. In the Old Covenant, every transgression receives a penalty, which may be the death of the sinner or other forms of judgement. The people (citizens of Israel) were responsible for ensuring that the penalty is served to the person caught in the act of sin. However, since Jesus Christ was going to the cross to pay for all the sins of the world (past, present, and future sins), the requirement for the people to condemn (punish) sinners was no longer necessary.

Condemnation is different from recognition of sin and pointing it out as wrong, though both fall under the word “judging”. To see this, let’s consider what happened when a woman was caught in adultery and brought before Jesus for His judgement as recorded in John 8:1-11. In this scene, we are witnessing two justice systems (two courts): the court of Moses (who was represented by the Jews) and the Court of Jesus Christ. According to Moses, she is to be killed, but Jesus’ decision (judgement) was mercy. Despite the mercy shown, Jesus Christ went further to tell her “go and sin no more (John 8:11)”. By His statement, Jesus recognised adultery as sin, and admonished that she should not continue in it (which was Him making judgement).

Therefore, the instruction “judge not” means we should not condemn the sinner, whom Christ has paid the price for his or her sins. It does not mean we should not recognise sin as sin, nor does it suggests we should not warn those who sin to stop sinning. Teaching (making clear God’s word), rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness are all acts of judging, yet the word is useful for them (2Tim. 3:16)

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for His word today. Let’s ask Him to help us understand His judgements.