We have all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Yet we do these things anyway for a variety of reasons. For one, it helps us better discern what others are like. I don’t believe judging others in this sense to be the same as judging in condemnation or out of self-righteousness. Sometimes judging happens as a way to protect ourselves emotionally, spiritually or physically and is, I believe, a God given instinct.
Dusk is approaching and you’re on your way to your car. There is a shady looking man that seems to be headed the same direction as you. Do your instincts tell you to hold on a little tighter to your purse or guard your wallet? Should you walk a bit faster and take hold your longest key? Here’s another scenario: Your sweet young teen daughter now has a new friend whose smoking and dressing provocative. Do the red flags start popping up as you start questioning your daughter’s judgment?
We tend to judge people by their facial expressions, body language, what they wear, how they smell, where they live, how they speak… It’s hard not to. Though we might be correct in assumptions, a lot of the time based on our experiences, we aren’t always correct. The fact is though, what we see on the outside of someone is too often a manifestation of what’s on the inside. Even in regard to speech. Jesus tells us in the Bible in Luke 6:43-45:
“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings for the good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
I think we are permitted to judge in this sense for the sake of imparting discernment. Some people take the scripture from Matthew 7:1 where Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” to mean we are not permitted to judge others. Yet if people look at it closer we see Jesus’ motive for saying this. People were being hypocrites when this was stated. Verse 2-5 says, “For with what judgment you judge, will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” We weren’t forbidden to judge in a cautious or discerning sense; rather, we are not to judge as hypocrites with such condemnation which is God’s place, not ours. Christians should judge what is right or wrong according to what we’ve been taught in the Word for the purpose of edification.
Scripture reference is quoted from the NKJV.