5. WHEN I JUDGE ANOTHER PERSON, I DEVALUE ALL OF HUMANITY INCLUDING MYSELF.

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE IDEA THAT WHEN WE LOOK DOWN ON SOMEONE ELSE, WE ARE LOWERING OURSELVES?

WHAT ARE SOME REASONS THAT WE LOOK DOWN ON AND DEVALUE OTHERS?

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES, SOCIAL AND PERSONAL, OF OUR JUDGING OTHERS?

JESUS STRONGLY FORBIDS US TO JUDGE OTHERS. JUDGING OTHERS REQUIRES THAT WE FIRST EVALUATE ANOTHER. WE NOTICE THEIR DIFFERENCES. EVEN THIS IS WRONG. REFLECT ON THIS IDEA.

Everyone wants to feel worthy. We long for and strive to convince ourselves that we have value. We struggle to create an image of ourselves that we feel good about. In this struggle, humanity often resorts to unhelpful and even harmful actions. A common way of making ourselves feel valued is to compare ourselves to others. We deem others as less worthy than ourselves to make ourselves feel better.

Without realizing it, our judgments of others end up hurting not only those we judge, but ourselves. When we judge others, we are guilty of the command Jesus gives to not judge. Matthew 7:1-5 says,

"Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at 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,' and look, the log is 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!" (NASB)

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus uses this passage to address humanity's tendency to judge and devalue others. First Jesus simply says, "Don't judge." Then he says that when we judge others it makes a judgmental environment where everyone, including us, gets judged. He goes on to describe the stupidity of judging, comparing it to a person with a log in their eye trying to help another who has a speck in their eye.

What if the log that Jesus is referring to is the judgmental character present in the person who is judging? When we judge others, it's like our clear thinking gets blurry; we become people who can't think rationally. And by judging others, we not only decrease their perceived value, but we also lower our own. If I can treat someone as less valuable than myself, I, by doing so, make myself open to being devalued by others.

If it is true that no person is worth either more or less than any other, then to reduce one person's worth is to reduce everyone's worth. Sadly, we live in a world where people often judge each other. This has led to humanity becoming so much less than God intended.