MATTHEW 7:1-6

7 “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.

TAKE THIS TEST TO SEE IF YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE

Are you breathing?
I'm sorry to tell you: you are a hypocrite.

Still not convinced?

Do you judge other people by their actions but yourself by your intentions?
Congratulations, you are definitely a hypocrite.

Still not persuaded? There is one final test.
Go look in the mirror. Only hypocrites can be seen in the mirror.

I kid. But seriously. When Jesus tells us not to judge, he doesn't mean that we should refrain from discerning between right and wrong, good and evil. (That’s why he tells us not to throw pearls to swine— in other words, exercise discernment about right and wrong.) What he means is that we should beware putting ourselves in the morally superior position of the Judge. We're not the Judge; we're the same as everybody else: we're all hypocrites.

Which means we all need mercy.

So, by all means discern between good and bad, right and wrong, and call out evil where you see it. But never forget that there is only one Judge, and you aren’t better than anyone else.

(And neither am I.)