This means when making a judgment call we ought to weigh the scales of judgment in favor of those we judge.
This is also known as judging favorably.
This has been the understanding of Leviticus 19:15 "15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor."So it has been understood amongst the Jewish people since before Christ that righteous judgment entails judging with our scales of judgment weighted towards innocence rather than guilt.Which leads me to believe that it was with this understanding in mind that Christ said this in John 7:24:"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."Christ seems to have taught this same principle of making judgements yet so many others want to believe that righteous judgment means that they have free reign to judge others negatively and as harshly as they feel like and that by pointing out all their sins and that signifies their own righteousness above others.But Jesus did not say that. His understanding is more nuanced.
Matthew 7:1-5 "Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 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?
5 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."
For me personally I have a better understanding of the power of righteous judge mental or judging favorably.
I have this understanding because of what I experienced in a near death experience.
I had taken several bottles of sleeping pills and a lot of rum and I laid down on my hotel bed and lost consciousness.
The next thing I know I am sitting in a small but cozy room with pillows and blankets all over. And there was a man saying he was my guide on the other side. I was told I was dead and that it was such a shame because there was so much I was needed to do and that there was so much I hadn't experienced, things that one can only experience in this life.
The more my guide went on like that the more I regretted my choice to die. I have never regretted anything more than I did in that moment. And then I remember thinking I would do anything, I would give anything to have another chance. And then I woke up in the hospital.
But my guides words stuck with me he said that I was a good person but I had made bad decisions. I was told that I had a good heart but made bad choices.
All I could remember at the time was how generic this man looked. He at no time gave his name. But just a few months ago I saw yet another depiction of Jesus and though a person identified this Jesus as who he met in his near death experience I did not expect anything different from any other Jesus picture but when I saw it I was transported back to that cozy room with my guide. I believe that guide was Jesus, I believe He judged me favorably and I feel I should judge others as favorably as my Savior did and continues to do for me.
