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Mondy of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time. The reading is from Gospel of Matthew 7:1-5

Stop Judging Others – Matthew 7:1-5

[Jesus said:]

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?

You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

When Jesus says “Stop judging, that you may not be judged,” he does not prohibit recognizing the faults of others, but against passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetting one’s own faults. In the verse

  • You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

Jesus uses the designation “hypocrite” that he the previously gave to the scribes and Pharisees, here to his disciple who is concerned with the faults of another and ignores his own more serious offenses.

In Chapter 6 of Luke’s gospel we have a similar passage.

Stop Judging Others – Luke 6:36-38, 41-42

[Jesus said to his disciples:]

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Stop judging and you will not be judged.Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.

…

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.

And similar teachings are found in the verses below

  • “Therefore, you are without excuse,a every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true.” (Romans 2:1–2)
  • Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God. (Corinthians 4:5)

The phrase “the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” in

  • “For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (Matthew 7:2)

has equivalent verses in Wisdom and in Mark.

  • Therefore to give us a lesson you punish our enemies with measured deliberation so that we may think earnestly of your goodness when we judge, and, when being judged, we may look for mercy. (Wisdom 12:22)
  • He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. (Mark 4:24)

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