Does Not Judge Others

Does Not Judge Others

A HERO’S TALE

Like Peter and Andrew, John and James were fishermen brothers who became disciples of Jesus. Early on, Jesus gave John and James the nickname “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). It was likely a reference to their strong personalities and hot tempers.

We see these traits of John and James in Luke 9:51-56. As Jesus and the disciples were heading toward Jerusalem, they stopped briefly in a Samaritan village. The Samaritans were a partly Jewish ethnic group that regular Jews hated.

The Samaritan townspeople rudely rejected Jesus and his disciples. That didn’t sit well with the Sons of Thunder. So they asked Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” (Wow, don’t get on John’s and James’s bad side!)

The thought hadn’t even crossed Jesus’ mind. He “turned and rebuked” John and James. The Sons of Thunder learned an important lesson that day.

DECODING THE MESSAGE

John and James had sinfully judged the Samaritans. They forgot what Jesus had taught them earlier in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2).

To judge others means to pronounce them guilty of something before God. But none of us has the right to do that. We are all sinners. It’s not our place to proudly look down on someone else’s faults, because we’ve got plenty of our own. That’s why, in Matthew 7:3, Jesus said, “Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?”

Are you allowed to graciously help someone overcome a sin or bad habit? Of course! But don’t view yourself as better than the other person when doing it.

John learned his lesson. Years later, he became one of the great leaders of the early church. He also wrote the Gospel of John and three Epistles (or letters to churches) ——1,2, and 3 John. In fact, 1 John is all about loving God and others. And true love doesn’t judge people.

Clearly, John had learned not to judge others with a sinful heart.

BATTLE PLAN

Read any (or all!) of the following passages on judging others: Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-42; Romans 2:1-16; Romans 14:10-13; and James 4:11-12.