Imagine being accused of a crime you didn’t commit—not because of hard evidence, but because a computer said you were guilty. That’s what happened to Jason Vernau, a medical entrepreneur who spent three days in jail after being falsely accused of check fraud. AI-driven facial recognition software flagged him as a match for a bank customer involved in fraud. The twist? Jason was at the bank that day—but only to deposit a legitimate check. The technology made a hasty connection, and the investigators ran with it, failing to dig deeper or consider the full story.
“This is your investigative work?” Vernau asked in disbelief. “You have a picture of me at a bank and that’s your proof? Where’s my fingerprints on the check? Where’s my signature?” The charges were eventually dropped, but the damage was done—all because of flawed judgment based on incomplete information.
Too often, we’re not so different. We jump to conclusions and pass judgment on others without knowing the whole picture. But as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus calls us to something better—a righteousness that reflects humility, love, and mercy rather than condemnation.
A Kingdom Heart
In our series Lessons from the King, we’re diving into the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches us what it means to live as citizens of His Kingdom. Early in this sermon, He sets the bar high:
“Unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Matthew 5:20, NLT).
The Pharisees’ righteousness was all about rules, appearances, and exclusion. Jesus, however, calls us to a righteousness that flows from the heart—a transformed desire and will, rooted in allegiance to Him as our King. That’s where true change begins.
Today’s lesson from Matthew 7:1-7 challenges us to reject the judgmental spirit of the Pharisees and embrace Kingdom values instead. To understand this, let’s look at how Jesus critiqued the Pharisees in Matthew 23:2-4, 13. He condemned their hypocrisy—they burdened people with rules, judged them harshly, and declared them unfit for God’s Kingdom, all while refusing to lift a finger to help.
Kingdom citizens, Jesus says, must be different. Our righteousness is built on humility, mercy, and love.
Do Not Judge—Or Do We?
“Judge not, lest you be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2) is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible—and often misunderstood. At first glance, it might seem like Jesus is telling us to avoid all moral discernment. But context is key. Just a few verses later, in Matthew 7:6 and 15, He instructs us to discern wisely—about who we share the Gospel with and how we identify false prophets.
So what does He mean?
Jesus isn’t forbidding us from recognizing right and wrong. He’s warning against the kind of judgment the Pharisees practiced—condemning others and shutting them out of God’s Kingdom. That’s not our job.
When we rush to condemn, we risk two consequences:
- The standard we use on others will be turned back on us—by people and ultimately by God. If we refuse to forgive, we won’t be forgiven.
- We’re stepping into a role reserved for God alone, who sees the full story of every heart.
Start with Yourself
Jesus drives this home with a vivid, almost comical image:
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3-5).
It’s ridiculous to imagine someone with a log sticking out of their eye trying to help someone else with a tiny speck. Yet that’s what we do when we judge others without examining ourselves first.
This isn’t about ignoring sin in others. It’s about humility—recognizing that we only see a fraction of their story while knowing our own flaws all too well. The Pharisees acted righteous without being righteous, condemning others while ignoring their own hypocrisy.
Jesus calls us to confess our sins, turn to God, and approach others with mercy. Only then can we offer help rather than judgment, pointing people to Jesus with love.
Wise Discernment, Not Blind Acceptance
Lest we think Jesus wants us to throw caution to the wind, He adds:
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” (Matthew 7:6).
Here, He calls for discernment. Dogs and pigs were unclean animals in Jewish culture, often symbols for those hostile to God’s ways. Jesus isn’t saying we should write people off lightly—He’s teaching us to focus our efforts wisely.
If someone has shown contempt for the Gospel, rejecting Jesus outright, we shouldn’t waste energy forcing it on them. They might “turn and tear you apart,” derailing our mission to share God’s love with those who are open.
This is why Jesus taught in parables: they revealed who was truly seeking God and who wasn’t. Our job is to share what’s holy with the receptive and pray for those who resist, trusting God to work in their hearts.
Living as Kingdom Citizens
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged” might be famous in our culture, often wielded as a shield for bad behavior. But Jesus isn’t endorsing blind acceptance. He’s calling us to rise above the Pharisees’ condemnation and embody Kingdom values.
We’re to be humble, knowing we’re sinners saved by grace.
We’re to be merciful, offering help rather than exclusion.
And we’re to be discerning, focusing on those open to God’s truth while praying for His enemies.
The big idea is this: Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven don’t condemn but show humility, love, and mercy to others.
It’s tempting to judge—especially when we hold God’s Word and see where others fall short. But Kingdom citizens realize God has been merciful to us, and we’re called to extend that grace to others.
A Challenge and a Prayer
When the urge to judge strikes, hit pause and pray. As Scot McKnight puts it, “We are to conclude ‘that is wrong’ and ‘that is good,’ but we must not pronounce ‘you are condemned by God.’”
We’re citizens of the Kingdom, not the King. Only He knows the heart.
So today, thank God for Jesus, who makes us part of His Kingdom. Ask Him for wisdom to examine your own life first. And pray for someone who needs His forgiveness—maybe even someone you’ve been tempted to judge.
Let’s live out the righteousness of the Kingdom, reflecting our King’s heart in all we do.