Blog

Dec 02, 2025 18:00pm

Walking Through Luke: Judge Not

29 Views

You have probably heard someone say, “The Bible says, ‘Judge not,’” or, “Only God can judge me!” Often these phrases are used when someone has been accused of doing wrong and does not want to feel responsible. They want to find an excuse to ease their conscience, so they shift the blame and say the other person is being judgmental.

There is something to be said about the dangers of being judgmental. It’s easy for us to assume we know what’s right and wrong better than everyone else and to judge people when they don’t meet our own standards. If we’re not careful, we start making assumptions about people because of who they spend time with, how they dress, or other superficial qualities.

From working with young people, I have seen that schools are some of the worst places for this. All around them are peers who are judging one another constantly. Who has the newest iPhone? Who’s wearing the most fashionable clothes? Whose video has the most views on TikTok? Who has the most friends? Middle schoolers and high schoolers watch these things and assign worth based on surface-level and unimportant factors.

It’s worse when churches do it. And unfortunately, many do. Some churches watch newcomers entering the building with a wary eye. Are they dressed “appropriately”? Do they have bright hair coloring, piercings, or tattoos? If they are a couple, are they wearing wedding rings? If not, are they “living right”?

Those who say the Bible commands, “Judge not,” are correct—but Jesus had a specific kind of judgment in mind when He said it, and it often gets used out of context. Judging people by appearance is absolutely wrong. Judging people based on superficial things is also wrong. But Jesus never said to turn a blind eye to sin, nor did He say we should not be discerning. Let’s look at what He actually says.

Luke 6:37–42 (NRSVUE): “‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’

“He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but every disciple who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,” when you yourself have a 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 neighbor’s eye.’”

So, when Jesus speaks about not judging, He means, “Do not be a hypocrite.” Some people in His day ran around condemning everyone else’s sins while refusing to examine their own. Their selfishness and unforgiveness blinded them. This is hypocrisy. We know there are sinful things in the world, and it’s okay to feel righteously outraged by sin and injustice. But if we are outraged by everyone else’s sins while ignoring our own, that makes us hypocrites, and this is what Jesus warns against. Essentially, He is warning us not to condemn others when we ourselves are equally worthy of condemnation. (But “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” Romans 8:1.)

Should we help people escape their sin? Yes, absolutely. The Bible tells us to do this (Galatians 6:1; Matthew 18:15–20). But it must be done gently, with love, and with the commitment to examine our own hearts first. In other words, if we are going to help someone with their sin, we must make sure our own lives are in order as well. Helping someone out of sin is good. Berating them, condemning them, or belittling them is not—especially when we ourselves could fall into the same temptation. Jesus says, “How can we see to remove the speck from our brother’s eye when we have a log in our own?”

So what does it mean not to judge others? Does it mean turning a blind eye to sin and letting everyone do whatever they want? No. Does it mean being gentle, compassionate, and restorative when we confront sin? Yes. Our goal in confronting someone’s sin should always be to gently correct them and lead them back into a right relationship with Christ. When we see someone off track, it can be a good thing to help them return—but we must be careful. We check our hearts. We check our attitudes. We ask, “Do I have sin in my life that needs to be made right first?” and “Am I approaching this person with compassion, or am I approaching them to condemn their weakness?”

At the end of the day, God is our ultimate and righteous Judge (Psalm 7:11; Acts 17:31). He gives chance after chance for every person to accept mercy, and He gives those of us who follow Him the task of delivering that message. There is no hypocrisy in God. Because He is perfect, He sees our sin clearly. It is either unforgiven, or it is covered by the blood of Jesus. So when someone insists on an “only-God-can-judge-me” lifestyle, they are correct—but that is not something to toss around lightly. It is something to consider with reverent fear. How will God judge me? Will He judge me as a forgiven child or as an unrepentant sinner?

So if you are gently and lovingly sharing the Gospel with someone and they say, “Don’t judge me,” remember this: it is not judgment to confront sin with love and compassion in mind. We are not condemning them. We are revealing the truth that Christ freely offers forgiveness. It is not a message of judgment but of freedom. And we must always monitor our own hearts, ensuring we are not harboring unconfessed sin before confronting someone else. God warns that if we are judgmental and condemning, we will receive the same measure in return—but if we are forgiving and generous, we will receive it “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.” Do we want to receive forgiveness running over? Or judgment?

He has given us a choice. Let’s choose to approach others with a loving, uplifting, restorative attitude and with hearts that seek holiness, knowing He will bless us for it.