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. Matthew 7:1-2
“The plain fact is that it is the Law of Life that, as we think, and speak, and act towards others, so will others think, speak and act towards us. Whatever sort of conduct we give out, that we are inevitably bound to get back.” — Emmet Fox
There are some interesting nuances to consider in this statement of Jesus. Fox points to the most obvious of these with his “like attracts like” statement. The more subtle yet impactful issue has to do with where you go mentally and emotionally when you pass judgment on another. The question you ask yourself is this: Do I like where I go?
Emerson said, “You can only see what you are.” This would indicate that we see in others what we really see in ourselves. If you think of this seeing process as one of setting up a kind of attracting vibration, you can see Fox’s like attracts like connection.
Someone made the interesting observation that we are not punished for our sins; we are punished by them. In other words, God is not looking at a master list of sins, comparing our thoughts and actions to it, and doling out penalties accordingly. The action of falling from a greater state to a lesser state of mind is itself the punishment.
Most of us are in such a habit of passing judgment that we need to take care not to judge ourselves too harshly. We are working toward a new awareness of how we employ our thinking and the possible consequences in both negative and positive ways. Jesus is basically saying that the level and type of your thinking is responsible for the level and type of your experience. Be mindful of how you see others for this is a window into how you see some aspect of yourself.