Daily Devotional For Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Good morning and wishing you a blessed day today. Character – it is something we look for in a person. What is his/her character like? We size people up based on their character. I know. I know. Some of you are thinking we are not to judge others because of what Jesus says in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged” (NLT). But is that what Jesus means? When we look at the Gospels, Jesus certainly sized up the religious leaders. He called them hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs and even vipers.
Jesus makes an assessment of the religious leaders. The Greek New Testament word translated as “judge” is [κρίνω, krino]. This word means basically to separate, choose, select, or determine, and has a dozen or more shades of meaning that must be decided from the context. In our present passage Jesus is referring to the judgment of motives, which no mere human being can know of another, and to judgment of external forms. In other Bible passages, it is sometimes translated as “condemn.”
The Bible consistently forbids us from thinking we know completely a person’s heart like God and therefore have the right to condemn them. We who are unrighteous but are possessed by self-righteousness are hypocrites. The reason Jesus qualified to judge people’s hearts when He was here, is He was and is God in human flesh. God is omniscient – all knowing. Nothing is hidden from God, not our true motives, not our thoughts, and not our secrets.
Jesus reminds His hearers and readers that they are not the final court. To judge another person is to assume and play the role of God. Jesus says this in John 5:22, “The Father judges no one. Instead, He has given the Son absolute authority to judge” (NLT). At a later day in the future, Jesus will share with us the right to judge (Matthew 19:28 and 1 Corinthians 6:2). Judging others is an evil that is considered blasphemous by God (See James 4:11-12).
“Krino” refers to private judgemental attitudes that tear down one in order to build oneself up. Instead, Christians are to be discerning and use spiritual discernment (See Matthew 7:15-23). Yet, we are to confront sinning believers just like an oncologist confronts cancer (See Matthew 18:15-17). So, Matthew 7:1 is often misquoted and so is Matthew 7:2, “For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged” (NLT). Some take Matthew 7:2 and say, “Do not judge less you be judged.” People who quote this are judging others in order to do this. They reveal their hypocrisy here.
All of this supports Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:5, “Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (NLT). Jesus’ point is those who are the most judgmental are the most conscious of their own sins and shortcomings. We judge others for what we do not like in ourselves.
Christian writer RussellT. Hitt tells this: “A Scottish pastor with a reputation as a fine Bible teacher also achieved a certain notoriety by his obvious use of cologne. He explained his habit as protection against offending anyone when he came down from the pulpit. That explained Sunday, but he wore it the other six days as well. One day, he visited a Christian bookstore run by a very pious lady. Arching her eyebrows, she sniffed, “Sir, you wear perfume.” “Madam,” he sniffed back, “you don’t” (Source: Russell T. Hitt, How Christians Grow, p. 41).
New Testament scholar Leroy Lawson writes this: “You probably have heard the unforgettable exchange between Winston Churchill and Lady Astor. Said the lady to gentleman, “Winston, if you were my husband, I should flavor your coffee with poison.” “Madam,” said the gentleman to the lady, “if I were your husband, I should drink it.” A clever repartee like this seems harmless. But not infrequently, a more deadly motive exists. Tom Cahill, a reporter and editor, once wrote an article about the famous swimmer Mark Spitz, in which he suggested that whereas in the water Spitz was wondrous to behold, he was perhaps not the brightest of men. A fan of Spitz wrote to Cahill and accused him of slandering the greatest swimmer of all time. He warned him that God would kill him for his impertinence. Cahill put the note on the bulletin board and didn’t think much about it until several days later. Then he learned that on the day it was written, its author had killed an entire family just north of San Francisco. Judgment is but a step removed from murder” (Source: Leroy Lawson, Matthew: Unlocking the Scriptures for You, pp. 105–106).
Judging is just a step from murder. Jesus says this also in Matthew 5:21-26. What seems to be a seemingly harmless spirit, can turn into violent action. When you judge, you expose your anger, insecurity, bitterness, fear, sense of inferiority, and lack of self respect. You aren’t in control of yourself when these feelings take over. This is why we do not judge.
“Richard DeHaan, in his book Men Sent from God, lists some of the criticisms pastors receive. The list is written “tongue in cheek,” of course. If the pastor is young, they say he lacks experience. If his hair is gray, he is too old for the young people. If he has five or six children, he is irresponsible; if he has no children, he is setting a bad example. If he uses a lot of illustrations, he neglects the Bible; if he does not use enough, he is not relevant. If he condemns wrong deeds, he’s cranky; if he does not, he’s compromising. If he drives an old car, he shames his congregation; if he drives a new one, he’s setting his affection on earthly things” (Source: Quoted by R. K. Hughes, The Sermon On The Mount: The Message Of the Kingdom, p. 227).
Being judged is part of life and we have to learn to live with it while at the same time minimizing our part in it. Judging others has so enveloped social media that it seems normal. We see this in the church by those who have a critical spirit and condemnation. Some see it as their “spiritual gift.” “Do not judge” has been taken by many to mean that Christians are all accepting of anything. They view that being Christlike is void of any critical faculties. Yet, there is nothing wrong in saying, “That movie was a waste of my time and money.” In Matthew 7, Jesus says we are to discern, assess, and evaluate without being condemning.
That we are blind to any sin, blind to any wrong, blind to any faults and accept them as normal. When it comes to morality, the world resents our opinions of moral righteousness, godliness and holiness. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus says this: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (NASB). It’s impossible to do what Jesus says Matthew 7:6 without judging what constitutes a “dog” and “swine.”
Assignment: When you size up a person, do the results make you feel better than them? When you judge, are you being critical and condemning? There is a difference between being discerning and being hypercritical. Critical people tend to focus on things that really do not matter or are not important and make them seem as if they are important. How can you be discerning rather than hypercritical?
Scripture To Meditate On: Romans 4:1-4, “Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. (2) For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. (3) Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. (4) Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, help me to be discerning in my judgments rather than being critical and condemning. Lord, help me to suppress my pride and live a life of humility. Help me to see people as You do. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly