Judge Not?

This week, we will review the saying of Jesus to refrain from judgement in Matthew 7:1-5. Although verses 1-2 are among the most well-known sayings of Jesus, this passage is often not understood and applied rightly. Instead of introducing a complete prohibition on judgement, Jesus is actually showing us how to care for each others' souls without hypocrisy. Jesus knows our sinful nature and our propensity to be overly critical of the sins of others and overly tolerant of our own faults. Because of this, Jesus instructs us to recognize and address the sins that are destroying our souls before we seek to offer correction to others. Jesus shows us in this passage that caring for our souls and the souls of our brothers & sisters is an essential part of the Christian life.