NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER SEVEN

Part I

Verse 1: Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you.

This teaching by Jesus has fed the contentious debate among many believers because it is taken by some to mean do not criticize or find fault with or correct another believer. But when seen that way it overlooks what “judging” is referring to here. The Greek word krinō used to translate Matthew’s Hebrew word, means “to pronounce a verdict and issue a sentence.” In other words, become both judge and jury concerning another person’s alleged wrongdoing. It is also another way of saying: Don’t keep looking at others to see what they are doing, keep your eye on what you need to do. One of the most famous Jewish teachers, who lived centuries before Jesus came, made this observation: “Do not judge your fellow man until you have stood in his place.”¹

Years ago I heard this old proverb that was said by an American Indian: “Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins.” One thing that I’ve seen more than any other is how quick and willing people are to find fault in others and recommend a penalty before they know all the facts. Often times in a sporting event, an official will make a judgment call, such as in baseball, an umpire calling balls and strikes; or in basketball a referee; or in football a head linesman, and the broadcasters will immediately become experts in judging how well these officials performed their duties. Jesus is saying much the same thing. If we decide to become judges of others, then God Himself will judge our judgments.

When reading this same text, early Church scholar Augustine made the following observation: He said: “There are some actions that seem harmless, and, since we don’t know what the intent was, because they may be done both with a good or with an evil, it would be a rush to judgment, especially for the purpose of condemning them. Now the time will come for these to be judged, when the Lord ‘will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.’² In another passage also the same apostle says: ‘Some men’s aims are manifest beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.’³ He calls those sins manifest, with regard to which it is clear with what intention they are done; these go before to judgment, because if a judgment shall follow, it is not rash. But those which are concealed follow, because neither shall they remain hid in their own time. So we must understand with respect to good works also. For he adds to this effect: ‘Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.’ Let us judge, therefore, with respect to those which are manifest; but respecting those which are concealed, let us leave the judgment to God: for they also cannot be hid, whether they be good or evil, when the time shall come for them to be manifested.”⁴

Verse 2: But there is more that Jesus wanted His disciples to know about this matter. For if you judge others, you will be judged the same way you judge them. God will treat you the same way you treat others.

Notice the text here. Christ does not say: Do not judge or criticize or condemn others when they do the same to you; or when it is uncalled for, or unnecessary; or out of pride or arrogance. Even though that is true in every sense, it is not the main point. Jesus’ statement starts very simply: “Do not.” No matter what the grounds may be or the urges that prompt it. Christ is not just trying to initiate a cure but prevent the disease from starting. Verse two clearly indicates the repercussions when we fail to listen to His advice.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years about judging others is that most judging or criticizing comes from an innate prompting in one person’s heart to live the other person’s life for them. In other words, trying to live out that other person’s life vicariously so they will be more like us and do things our way. If you don’t like their hairdo, it’s because you want them to have the hairdo you prefer. The same goes for their clothes, looks, speech, actions, motivations, the car they drive or the house they live in, even their mate, etc. What Jesus is trying to tell us is that while we are looking at them, we fail to look at ourselves and don’t realize how other people are looking at us. Believe me, if they were successful in changing you into looking and acting and living more like them, and you were able to change them into looking and acting a living more like you, the criticizing would start all over again, only this time in reverse.

Also, many go around with a device to measure other people that has measuring marks on both sides of the stick. On one side the numbers are marked as inches while on the other side the same numbers are marked as feet. When measuring others to determine their esteem and importance, people use the side with inches, while using the side with increments in feet to measure themselves. That’s why they always end up being much taller than anyone else. No wonder they go around thinking themselves to be ten feet tall while others are mere midgets.

In Jewish literature we read where it was said: “Our Rabbis taught: He who judges his neighbor on merit is himself judged favorably.”⁵ So taking this into account and applying it to what Jesus said, we can see that our Lord was not forbidding anyone from passing judgment by way of observation or based on their own knowledge or skills, but when they did, to do it in the same manner by which they would want to be judged. The Talmud tells us a story to illustrate the point being made:

“Thus a story is told of a certain man who came down from Upper Galilee and was employed by an individual in the South for three years. On the eve of the Day of Atonement he asked him, ‘Give me my wages that I may go and support my wife and children.’ ‘I have no money,’ answered the employer. ‘Give me produce,’ the worker demanded; ‘I have none,’ the boss replied. ‘Give me land.’ — ‘I have none.’ ‘Give me cattle.’ — ‘I have none. ‘Give me pillows and bedding.’ — ‘I have none.’ So he threw his things behind him and went home with a sorrowful heart. After the Festival his employer took his wages in his hand together with three laden donkeys, one bearing food, another drink, and the third various sweetmeats, and went to his house. After they ate and drank, he gave him his wages, saying to him: ‘When you asked me, “Give me my wages,” and I answered you, “I have no money,” what did you suspect?’ ‘I thought, Perhaps you came across cheap merchandise and had purchased it with my wages.’ ‘And when you asked me, “Give me cattle,” and I answered, “I have no cattle,” what did you suspect?’ ‘I thought, you may have loaned them to others.’ ‘When you asked me, “Give me land,” and I told you, “I have no land,” what did you suspect?’ ‘I thought, perhaps it is leased to others.’ ‘And when I told you, “I have no produce,” what did you suspect?’ ‘I thought, Perhaps you had not yet paid the tithe.’ ‘And when I told you, “I have no pillows or bedding,” what did you suspect?’ ‘I thought, perhaps you had dedicated all your property for God’s use.’ ‘I swear on the Temple, the employer exclaimed, that’s exactly right! I vowed all my property to God because my son Hyrcanus would not read and study the Torah, but when I went to my companions in Jerusalem they absolved me of all my vows. And as for you, just as you judged me favorably, so may the Omnipresent judge you favorably.’⁶

So with this teaching our Lord was tapping into a well of wisdom that His Jewish listeners were already familiar with. In a Jewish book called, “The Ethics of the Fathers,” we find the advice of a Jewish teacher named Joshua ben Perachia who said: “Judge every man based on merit.”⁷ In other words, always look for the good before you concentrate on the bad. For example, if you hear of a woman who abandoned her newly born infant on the doorstep of the local fire station, before you consider her act to be one of a mother who didn’t care what happened to her child, first view the possibility that she knew she was in no position to give the child what it deserved, so she gave it up so it could have a better life with someone more competent and well off.

The venerable Rabbi Maimonides when he read this book on the Ethics of the Fathers, reflected on it by writing eight chapters on ethics. Maimonides talked about how mankind is constantly trying to maintain his physical, mental, emotional, and moral equilibrium. This results in oscillation between what’s healthy and unhealthy, good and evil, righteous and unrighteous.⁸ Says Maimonides, “So, just as when the equilibrium of the physical health is disturbed, and we note which way it is trending in order to force it to go in exactly the opposite direction until it shall return to its proper condition, and, just as when the proper adjustment is reached, we cease this operation, and have recourse to that which will maintain the proper balance, in exactly the same way must we adjust the moral equilibrium.”⁹ In other words, when we see an imbalance in a person’s life, instead of looking for the wrong and chastising them for it, look for the good and motivate them toward that which is best. This falls in line with what another Rabbi said: “All measures ceased, yet the rule of measure for measure has not ceased.”¹⁰ This is the Hebrew way of saying to use the same measure on yourself that you use on others.

We find this rule of “measure for measure” in the story of queen Vashti in the Book of Esther being discussed by some Rabbis. In their commentary on this phrase they write that measure for measure literally means: “for with the measure with which a man measures others, they measure him.”¹¹ Again this shows that what our Master was teaching was already part of the verbal traditions of the Jews. But most important is how He said it would be applied to His followers. We see this same rule of the measure with which one man measures another applied to a different circumstances.¹²

We also read where Rabbis taught that, “The Holy One, blessed be He, gives the wicked the strength to receive punishment, just as He gives the righteous the capacity to receive reward.”¹³ In the Mishnah we find a different take on how God uses this measure for measure rule: “It is obligatory for one to bless God for a bad occurrence, by saying Blessed is the True Judge in the same manner as one would for a good occurrence, as it states ‘And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your means.’¹⁴ ‘With all your heart,” which means with your two impulses — the evil impulse, as well as the good impulse [i.e., those physical functions which may be used for sin, should also be harnessed for the service of God] ‘With all your soul means even though he takes your life, ‘With all your means’ i.e., with all your money. Another explanation of ‘With all your means’ is with whatever measure He metes out to you [whether bad or good], still you must thank Him very, very much.”¹⁵

Although Jesus did not mention punishment, this was part of the Jewish thinking in how God will treat you with the same measure as you mete out to others, whether good or bad. Then in the Mishnah where the story of Samson and Delilah was part of the discussion, it begins: “In the same measure that a man measures, it is meted out to him,” and then goes on to talk how both Samson and Delilah received their just reward for both the good and the bad.¹⁶ But our Lord was not finished. He now addresses how perception is often a part of judging others. He wants His disciples to know that a person can often be fooled into judging by what they think they see, rather than what is really there.