I wouldn't see the command to 'judge not' as restrictive but rather as liberating. Like the great command 'put away your sword' to Peter at Jesus' arrest. It allows us to pursue a life of peace rather than one of trouble and trouble making. In ancient times it was the Law of Moses (given Moses by God) that eyes had to be put out and teeth extracted ('eye for eye and tooth for tooth') with many requirements of fierce judgment. Jesus alone could override this with confidence God was doing it through Him. A mere teacher and leader could not override such laws. The Son alone had the authority and position as Son of Man from God's right hand to whom God through Moses had commaned all to listen when He come. 'You have heard eye for eye and tooth for tooth - BUT I SAY TO YOU...' Now the heavy yoke could be lifted from weary shoulders and a light yoke taken on the shoulders freely.
Even though we do not need to inflict judgment as people had to do under the yoke of Moses, we still need to explain right and wrong and that gets conflated by many with judging. If we say to someone we have knowledge of the wrongness of something we so often get accused of 'being judgmental'. Yet it is for the Lord to teach people who believe in a way we cannot do. It should not be forgotten that the Lord teaches people in their dreams in a way no mere human words and arguments can do. Is it not oversimplfying it to say right and wrong can be learned from God's word? God's word and Christ's testimony in Revelation in Rev 21:8 has the greek word for sorcery being 'pharmakoi' but who could say, from that, that they are completely confident the word of God is that 'pharmacy' is a kind of sorcery, a sin that leads to hellfire. Likewise lustfulness which has to be punished by churches but who can say from that word in scripture where libido ends and lust begins. Even looking lustfully at the opposite sex is said in scripture by Jesus to be equivalent to fornication but do we understand whether a person doing it is to be punished as a fornicator? Scripture helps convict but is not enough to be rid of all these and other sins. Do we all know from scripture whether lustful dreams are sin (who does not have them) and whether keeping in our thoughts a memory of what hateful people have said of others is harbouring hateful lies? Although there are absolute sins like a robber who can give up robbing and do an honest job, most sins are relative like when you sell goods but overcharge for them. There are mostly grey areas. A saint does not sin as much as a sinner but might still do things dishonest at times. They might not lie pathologically but might allow themselves to think things of others they know might not be true or they might think through a way of saying something deceitful without ever allowing themselves to say it. When one person refrains from a sin they efrectively condemn others who do not resist the temptation. Is it OK NOT to judge? The happy answer is YES. Jesus is including the welfare of the person who might have to judge by saying you can opt out on the grounds you would then be less prone to being judged. Just as you can opt out of shedding blood by fighting on the grounds you would be less prone to dying by the sword. He is providing for 'conscientious objection' This is grace triumphing where Law did not take those under it. Grace provides for the need of the one subject to it. Jesus became like us to give grace according to our need. Our need is to not have to bear the pressure of being subject to harsh judgment because of having been a judge of others. Harsher judgment comes on those who have been harsh in judgment. What is more: This is Jesus giving instructions to builders of the new temple of the body of Christ to keep us all, like Him, free from having bloodied hands that have shed blood. King David was not permitted to build a temple because as a powerful judge for God he had blood on his hands. The promise was given of a descendant of David who would build as one having less bloodied hands holier for the work. Solomon was the immediate answer but the promise was stronger than Solomon alone would fulfill and looked ahead to Jesus the Christ and from Him to those who build with Him who cannot have hands full of blood. Praise God. This is the Kingdom of God with its King on David's throne for ever, Jesus and His disciples who overcome and do His will to the end.
When God Himself judges the judgment acts of God can be so harsh as to make the harshest of other judges shudder and complain. And God sometimes uses human instruments for judgment and sometimes angelic instruments in such service. So to be able to avoid being the instrument of judgment is a gracious dispensation from God through Christ to those who take on themselves Christ's yoke and hope to participate in building up the House of God while keeping clean hands free of bloodshed.
Even though we do not need to inflict judgment as people had to do under the yoke of Moses, we still need to explain right and wrong and that gets conflated by many with judging. If we say to someone we have knowledge of the wrongness of something we so often get accused of 'being judgmental'. Yet it is for the Lord to teach people who believe in a way we cannot do. It should not be forgotten that the Lord teaches people in their dreams in a way no mere human words and arguments can do. Is it not oversimplfying it to say right and wrong can be learned from God's word? God's word and Christ's testimony in Revelation in Rev 21:8 has the greek word for sorcery being 'pharmakoi' but who could say, from that, that they are completely confident the word of God is that 'pharmacy' is a kind of sorcery, a sin that leads to hellfire. Likewise lustfulness which has to be punished by churches but who can say from that word in scripture where libido ends and lust begins. Even looking lustfully at the opposite sex is said in scripture by Jesus to be equivalent to fornication but do we understand whether a person doing it is to be punished as a fornicator? Scripture helps convict but is not enough to be rid of all these and other sins. Do we all know from scripture whether lustful dreams are sin (who does not have them) and whether keeping in our thoughts a memory of what hateful people have said of others is harbouring hateful lies? Although there are absolute sins like a robber who can give up robbing and do an honest job, most sins are relative like when you sell goods but overcharge for them. There are mostly grey areas. A saint does not sin as much as a sinner but might still do things dishonest at times. They might not lie pathologically but might allow themselves to think things of others they know might not be true or they might think through a way of saying something deceitful without ever allowing themselves to say it. When one person refrains from a sin they efrectively condemn others who do not resist the temptation. Is it OK NOT to judge? The happy answer is YES. Jesus is including the welfare of the person who might have to judge by saying you can opt out on the grounds you would then be less prone to being judged. Just as you can opt out of shedding blood by fighting on the grounds you would be less prone to dying by the sword. He is providing for 'conscientious objection' This is grace triumphing where Law did not take those under it. Grace provides for the need of the one subject to it. Jesus became like us to give grace according to our need. Our need is to not have to bear the pressure of being subject to harsh judgment because of having been a judge of others. Harsher judgment comes on those who have been harsh in judgment. What is more: This is Jesus giving instructions to builders of the new temple of the body of Christ to keep us all, like Him, free from having bloodied hands that have shed blood. King David was not permitted to build a temple because as a powerful judge for God he had blood on his hands. The promise was given of a descendant of David who would build as one having less bloodied hands holier for the work. Solomon was the immediate answer but the promise was stronger than Solomon alone would fulfill and looked ahead to Jesus the Christ and from Him to those who build with Him who cannot have hands full of blood. Praise God. This is the Kingdom of God with its King on David's throne for ever, Jesus and His disciples who overcome and do His will to the end.
When God Himself judges the judgment acts of God can be so harsh as to make the harshest of other judges shudder and complain. And God sometimes uses human instruments for judgment and sometimes angelic instruments in such service. So to be able to avoid being the instrument of judgment is a gracious dispensation from God through Christ to those who take on themselves Christ's yoke and hope to participate in building up the House of God while keeping clean hands free of bloodshed.
