Do Not Judge: Living with Discernment and Compassion

Devotional

Day 1: Judge Not, But Discern Carefully

Jesus calls us not to judge others harshly or hypocritically, but rather to exercise discernment with humility and self-awareness. Our natural tendency is to judge others more strictly than ourselves, often without knowing the full story or the struggles they face. Jesus warns that the standard we use to judge others will be the standard used for us, urging us to first examine our own hearts and motives before addressing the faults of others. True discernment comes from a place of compassion and honesty, not pride or self-righteousness, and requires us to deal with our own shortcomings before we can help others. [04:24]

Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Reflection: Is there someone you have judged harshly this week? What would it look like to pause, consider your own heart, and approach them with humility and compassion instead?

Day 2: Discernment, Not Blind Acceptance

While we are not to be judgmental, Jesus teaches that we must still discern between right and wrong, and not give what is holy to those who will trample it. This means evaluating situations and people with wisdom, recognizing when sharing the treasures of faith would be unwise or even harmful. Discernment is not about condemning others, but about protecting what is sacred and being wise stewards of the truth God has entrusted to us. We are called to test what we accept and participate in, always seeking to align our actions with God’s standards rather than the world’s. [19:00]

Matthew 7:6 (ESV)
“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you need to exercise greater discernment about what you share, with whom, and how you engage with the world around you?

Day 3: Renewing Your Mind to Know God’s Will

God calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we can discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect according to His will. This transformation requires us to evaluate our thoughts, beliefs, and actions in light of God’s Word, rejecting what is wrong and embracing what is right. By doing so, we resist the pressure to conform to the world and instead become people who reflect God’s truth and love. This process is ongoing and intentional, requiring us to seek God’s wisdom daily and allow Him to shape our understanding and decisions. [22:33]

Romans 12:2 (ESV)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Reflection: What is one area of your thinking or behavior that needs to be renewed today so you can better discern and follow God’s will?

Day 4: Persistent Prayer to a Loving Father

Jesus encourages us to come to God persistently and confidently, knowing that our Father in heaven delights to give good gifts to His children. Even when answers seem delayed or different from what we expect, we are invited to keep asking, seeking, and knocking, trusting in God’s perfect wisdom and love. Our relationship with God is not based on our own merit, but on His grace and fatherly care, and we are called to approach Him with the trust and openness of a beloved child. [27:30]

Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV)
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Reflection: What is one need or desire you have been hesitant to bring to God? Will you bring it to Him today, trusting in His love and care for you?

Day 5: Trusting God’s Fatherly Heart, Even When Life Hurts

God never makes mistakes, even when His answers or the circumstances of our lives are hard to understand. He is a loving Father—our “Daddy”—who desires a deep, personal relationship with us and always acts for our ultimate good. When we struggle to see God’s love because of past hurts or unanswered prayers, we are invited to bring our doubts and pain to Him, trusting that He cares for us more deeply than we can imagine. In every situation, God’s wisdom and love are at work, shaping us and drawing us closer to Himself. [34:15]

2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Reflection: Is there a painful experience or unanswered question that makes it hard for you to trust God as your loving Father? What would it look like to bring that honestly before Him today and ask for His comfort and understanding?

Sermon Summary

The journey through the Sermon on the Mount brings us to a crucial teaching in Matthew 7:1-11, where Jesus addresses the theme of judgment and discernment. The call is not to abandon all evaluation or to live passively in the world, but to approach others with humility, self-awareness, and a deep sense of our own need for grace. Jesus warns against the hypocrisy of judging others while ignoring our own faults, using the vivid image of a log in our own eye compared to a speck in someone else’s. This is a call to honest self-examination and to deal with our own shortcomings before attempting to help others.

Yet, Jesus does not command us to be blind or naïve. He instructs us to discern—to recognize what is holy and to be wise about with whom we share the treasures of the faith. This discernment is not about condemnation, but about loving others well, protecting what is sacred, and refusing to participate in what is wrong. The balance is found in holding truth and love together: we are to test the spirits, to renew our minds, and to reject what is evil, but always with a spirit of compassion rather than superiority.

Jesus’ own example with Pilate and Herod shows us how to respond differently based on the openness of a person’s heart. With those who are genuine, even if they do not yet believe, we engage honestly. With those who are hardened and mocking, we do not cast what is holy before them. This is wisdom in action, guided by the Spirit.

Finally, Jesus turns our attention to the heart of the Father. We are invited to ask, seek, and knock, trusting that God is a loving Father who delights to give good gifts to His children. The challenge is to see God not only as a distant authority but as our “Daddy”—one who cares deeply, who never makes mistakes, and who desires a close, trusting relationship with us. Even when we do not understand His ways, we are called to trust in His perfect wisdom and love, knowing that He is always working for our good.

Key Takeaways

1. True discernment begins with humility and self-examination. Before addressing the faults of others, it is essential to confront our own shortcomings honestly. This posture guards us from hypocrisy and opens the way for genuine, compassionate help to others. [10:43]
2. The call not to judge is not a call to moral blindness. Jesus expects us to discern between right and wrong, to test the spirits, and to protect what is holy. Discernment is an act of love and wisdom, not of condemnation or superiority. [21:13]
3. Our judgments are often flawed because we lack full knowledge of others’ circumstances and are prone to extend more grace to ourselves than to others. Recognizing our limited perspective should lead us to greater patience, empathy, and restraint in how we view and treat others. [08:39]
4. Jesus models discernment in His interactions: He engages openly with those who are genuine, even if they are outsiders, and withholds from those who are hardened or mocking. We are called to be wise in our relationships, sharing the treasures of faith with those who are receptive and not casting them before those who will trample them. [25:46]
5. God desires to be known not just as a distant Father, but as our loving “Daddy.” He invites us to come to Him with our needs, trusting in His goodness and perfect wisdom. Even when His answers differ from our requests, we can rest in the assurance that He never makes mistakes and always acts for our ultimate good. [33:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:36] - Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
[01:13] - Christian Character and Relationship to the World
[02:01] - Living Before God: Giving, Prayer, and Fasting
[03:16] - The Theme of Judgment and Discernment
[04:24] - Do Not Judge: The Log and the Speck
[06:03] - What Jesus Really Means by “Do Not Judge”
[08:02] - The Dangers of Hypocritical Judgment
[10:43] - The Need for Self-Examination
[12:10] - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
[14:17] - Why We Must Be Careful in Judging
[16:59] - The Importance of Clear Vision
[17:44] - The Balance: Discernment Without Condemnation
[21:13] - Testing the Spirits and Renewing the Mind
[23:11] - Jesus’ Example: Pilate and Herod
[26:23] - Ask, Seek, Knock: The Heart of the Father
[31:53] - God as Our “Daddy”
[33:36] - Trusting God’s Wisdom and Goodness
[35:31] - Invitation to Deeper Relationship with the Father
[36:18] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 7:1-11 (ESV) — 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Observation Questions

What image does Jesus use to describe the problem of judging others while ignoring our own faults? ([04:24])
According to Jesus, what must happen before we can help someone else with their “speck”? ([10:43])
In verse 6, Jesus talks about not giving what is holy to dogs or casting pearls before swine. What does this suggest about how we share spiritual truths? ([06:35])
How does Jesus describe God’s response to those who ask, seek, and knock? ([27:30])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus warns so strongly against judging others before dealing with our own issues? How does this relate to hypocrisy? ([10:43])
What is the difference between judgment and discernment, according to the sermon? Why is this distinction important for Christians? ([17:44])
How does Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Herod illustrate the principle of discernment in relationships? ([25:46])
What does it mean to see God not just as a distant Father, but as our “Daddy”? How might this change the way someone prays or relates to God? ([31:53])

Application Questions

Think about a recent time when you were quick to judge someone else. What “log” might you have overlooked in your own life? How can you practice honest self-examination before addressing others? ([10:43])
Are there situations where you have been tempted to avoid all discernment out of fear of being “judgmental”? How can you find the balance between not judging and still standing for what is right? ([17:44])
When you encounter someone who is not open to faith or even mocks it, how do you usually respond? What might it look like to follow Jesus’ example of discernment in these situations? ([25:46])
The sermon mentioned that we often give ourselves more grace than we give to others. Can you think of a relationship where you need to extend more patience or empathy? What would that look like this week? ([08:39])
Jesus invites us to ask, seek, and knock, trusting that God is a loving Father. Is there something you have stopped praying for because you felt God wasn’t listening? What would it look like to bring that request to Him again, trusting in His wisdom? ([27:30])
The idea of God as “Daddy” may be difficult for some because of past experiences. How does your own experience with earthly fathers affect your view of God? What steps could you take to grow in trust and closeness with Him? ([31:53])
When God’s answers are different from your requests, how do you usually respond? How can you remind yourself that God never makes mistakes and is always working for your good, even when you don’t understand? ([33:36])

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