Meeting guide · command 21

Judge Not

Refuse hypocritical condemnation; examine yourself honestly and judge with the right standard.

Read

Read the complete passage aloud.

Primary passage

Matthew 7:1–5

1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

World English Bible

Luke

Luke 6:37–38

37 Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free. 38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

World English Bible

John

John 7:24

24 Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

World English Bible

Jesus warns against condemning others while ignoring one’s own sin, yet also calls for right judgment shaped by humility and generosity.

Discuss

Listen carefully to what Jesus says.

  1. What does Jesus command?
  2. What does this passage reveal about Him?
  3. Where do we resist this command?
  4. What is difficult or unclear?
  5. How do Jesus’ words distinguish hypocritical condemnation from humble discernment and loving correction?

Practice

Choose one specific act of obedience.

Before addressing another person’s fault, name and confess your own related weakness. Then decide whether a humble, helpful conversation is truly needed.

Return

Come back and discuss what happened.

What did self-examination change about your judgment, tone, or decision to speak?

Close together

Pray. Then prepare to teach.

Pray

Jesus, expose our blindness, restrain our condemnation, and give us humble wisdom to see ourselves and others truthfully.

Teach

Teach the whole movement: reject condemnation, remove your own log, and then see clearly enough to help rather than shame.