Foundations of Judging

My New Year's Resolution this month is taken from Matthew 7:1-5 and Matthew 6:19-23. I will address the first passage today, the second passage next week, then try to tie them together the rest of the month.

Matthew 7:1-5 says:

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

In the JST, the first verse has been altered slightly to read:

Judge not unrighteously . . . but judge righteous judgment.

Just as a starter this month:

My favorite definition of "righteous" is "right with God" - so when dealing with judging righteously, my best definition would be to judge as God would judge. Phrasing it that way is critical to me, as it is the very foundation of how I see the command and its application for me - for the following three reasons, especially:

1) I believe we simply don't see the big picture AND don't understand others well enough to judge as God judges - so we are commanded simply not to judge.

2) I try to be analytical and strive to understand, but I try just as hard to avoid "judging" (acting as a judge and pronouncing a sentence based on guilt or innocence) - because I simply don't know exactly why most people think and do what they think and do OR exactly how accountable they are for their thoughts and actions.

3) I want to be judged with extreme leniency, so I try to be as charitable and non-judgmental as possible. That alone is worth contemplating regularly.