Judge not, that you be not judged.
—Matthew 7:1
Judging others is way above our pay grade. We don’t know enough to be judgmental.
To fairly judge, one must know all, including the person’s heart and motives—things that only God knows: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). “Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart” (1 Cor 4:4–5).
“Judge not” is a prohibition of being censorious: condemning harshly, self-righteously, without mercy, without love. Such censure is presumptuous, claiming the competence to evaluate another human. It is an arrogant assumption of the position that belongs only to God.
Take off the robe and put down the gavel.