Creator, Father, King #185

Do not judge others.

ON OCTOBER 5, 1931, at a federal courthouse in Chicago, a trial began for one of the most notorious criminals in American history.

From 1920 to 1931, Al Capone slowly built a powerful, wealthy, and dangerous crime syndicate in the Windy City through bootlegging, extortion, police payoffs, murder, and other offenses. But in the end, he went to jail for—drum roll, please—not paying his taxes!

Knowing Capone often resorted to bribery to get favorable results, federal judge James H. Wilkerson cleverly sent the twelve-person jury assigned to Capone’s trial into another courtroom and brought that jury into his courtroom. After thirteen days, the jury found Capone guilty of income tax evasion. Judge Wilkerson sentenced him to eleven years in federal prison. Thank goodness for honest judges and the criminal justice system!

But what, then, are we supposed to do with today’s verse, where Jesus says, “Do not judge others”? Does this mean that we should abolish our entire justice system, encourage judges to look for other jobs, and let villains run amok?

No, of course not!

What’s It Mean?

When Jesus commanded us not to judge others, he was referring to an improper heart attitude toward people. Biblically speaking, to judge someone is to

• hold a grudge,
• pridefully look down on them and/or think you’re better than they are,
• make assumptions about their motives or character that may not be true, and
• even go so far as to pronounce God’s judgment on them in your heart for something they’ve said or done in the past.

When you judge another person, you are, in essence, playing judge and jury against them, declaring them guilty before God. That’s dangerous territory. As James 4:12 says, “God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?”

Instead of worrying about others, Jesus said, focus on honoring God yourself. That’s what Jesus meant with his powerful hyperbole in Matthew 7:3: “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?”

If God were as quick to judge us as we are to judge others, we would be eternally condemned because of our sins. Thankfully, he is patient and loves to extend mercy and grace to sinners through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Go and do likewise.

Now What?

Read Matthew 7:1-5 and ask God to reveal any glaring “logs” in your eye.

Did You Know?

Al Capone served less than eight years of his prison sentence. He died of cardiac arrest in 1947 at the age of forty-eight.