James and the Sermon on the Mount: Judging

James’ instructions on judging others is very reminiscent of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew. This time, we are going to observe both passages and hold them up so that they shed light on each other. 

James 4:11-12 says, “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”. In context, James is speaking to an audience that has made divisions between themselves and have marginalized the poor among the wealthy in their communities. They accuse one another and the imagery gives us a picture of a courtroom, they are testifying against one another instead of building one another up. By doing this, they are playing the role of God, indicated by the names Lawgiver and Judge, titles reserved for Yahweh. James says this is not our role. It is not part of our vocation to command certain things of other believers and to condemn them for their response. God is the one who gives the commands and who saves or condemns. Humans did not create the law, God did, therefore that role is reserved for God. This plays out in how we speak to one another and the burdens we place on one another. James sees those who do this as playing God which leads down a dangerous path. 

In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus speaks of this same issue. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Jesus warns we must be very careful on how we encounter other people’s sins. If we are too quick to condemn, it is most likely we ourselves have the same sin or something like it blocking our own perception. Jesus says it is like we have a plank in our eye, a huge piece of wood, compared to a speck in the other person’s eyes. Our priority in dealing with sin should be with ourselves not others. Jesus never says we should not help others with their sin, in fact, we should help them. That is why Jesus says we must be able to see clearly. But we must deal with our sin first, we must check our intentions before we go inspecting other believer’s sins. 

Jesus reminds us that our interactions with others is a heart issue. We shouldn’t judge without remembering our own sin. James reminds us of our God-given role. We receive God’s commands, God is the one who saves and we receive the blessings. We must remember these things as we are tempted to make a decision about a person’s way of living.