Originally posted by philosophizer
Many Christians are very skilled at repeating the phrase "Judge not, lest ye be judged." So skilled, in fact, that most do not even need to think about the words before they say them. It is beaten into their brains to the point of making it a reflex. But I think that Jesus' words deserve more than just parroting. They deserve real genuine thought on what exactly He was talking about at the time.
First of all, "Judge not" is not a command. It is a suggestion. And more than that, it is a suggestion to hypocrites.
Jesus suggests not to judge or else you will also be judged by others and with the same measure you use on them.
This might seem to many people a very good idea. Nobody wants their skeletons pulled out of the closet, right? That seems quite reasonable but it overlooks one big thought: we should want to be judged.
Why should we be afraid of being judged? The only real reason would be if we had something to hide. But that's only an excuse. Should we want those things brought out into the light so that we can fix them? Shouldn't we want to become better people instead of hiding behind "judge not"?
Jesus also added the little piece about not making a big deal about the speck in your brother's eye while you have a plank in your own. This wasn't meant to strengthen "judge not" as a commandment. It was meant to provide instructions on how to judge. First remove your own plank, then help your brother with his speck.
It's all about fixing things. When we have problems, we should try to fix them as best we can. But sometimes, we are so afraid of the fixing process and the embarrasment that comes along with it that we try to hide the problem. It is times like those when we should hope and expect that those who truly love us will care enough to judge.
