Don’t Judge (Matthew 7:1-6)

Does anyone remember the OJ trial? High powered attorneys piled up on one side, with all of the resources of the District Attorney’s office on the other side. But no matter how rich or powerful, each person had to submit to Judge Ito. In retrospect, Judge Ito may have surrendered more control in his courtroom than was healthy for the process. But as the judge in the case, he had the authority and even the expectation to run the courtroom and oversee all of the personalities and information in the trial. How often do Christians act like they have this kind of authority? The reputation of the church for ‘judging’ people is both well-earned and a result of some miscommunication. Jesus tells us that citizens of the Kingdom leave the judging to the King. There are consequences to wading into judging others that He warns us about, and there are reasons we aren’t allowed to put ourselves in the position of judge. So let’s take Jesus’ instruction to heart throughout the body of Christ!