Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Today’s sermon is addressed to his disciples, that is to all us Christians. His teaching is simple: Stop it! “Stop judging, that you may not be judged.” Notice that Jesus does not say, “do not judge,” but “Stop judging.” He recognizes that we his disciples can be a little “self-righteous” at times and quick to see the faults of others. Jesus warns and exhorts us not to judge others but instead to judge ourselves: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”
Jesus also knows that those who are self-righteous and quick to condemn and exclude are often exposed as hypocrites: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” Jesus was sent into the world not to judge or condemn but to save:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16).
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” (John 8:10-11).
Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount is continually calling us to follow his way as disciples. This way is challenging because it means loving not only our neighbor but also our enemy and even forgiving them as Jesus forgave those who condemned him to death. None of us are perfect disciples just as none of the original Twelve were perfect disciples. Jesus knows that his way is difficult and challenging because it requires us to think not as human beings but as God thinks, hence Jesus’ harsh words to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mark 8:33).
Each day we need to hear the teachings of Jesus to both guide and challenge us. Today Jesus exhorts us: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged.”
Image: “Twelve-Year-Old Jesus Teaching in the Temple” by Klearchos Kapoutsis is licensed under CC BY 2.0.