(28) And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
(29) For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes‖.
NOTE: At this level of Torah fundamentals, we find great unity between the teaching of the Pharisees as
exemplified by Paul's letters and the Talmud, and those of the Essenes as exemplified by James' letter. The
name "James" is a Christian supplantation. The actual name in the Greek text is Jacob, from the Hebrew
"Ya'acov‖. The name "James" was most likely added at the time the "King James" Bible was created. As
mentioned earlier, Y‘shua had one foot in each of these camps (the Pharisees and the Essenes.)
7:1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged
―Judge not, that ye be not judged‖.
As throughout this Midrash, Y‘shua's warning is a reflection of Pharasaic opinion:
Babylonian Talmud, Avot 2:14: ―Do not judge your fellow until you have been in his place‖.
Babylonian Talmud, Avot 4:10: ―Do not be a judge of others, for there is no judge but the one (God)‖.
7:2 with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again
―For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured
to you again‖.
This is the same standard as found in the Talmud:
Babylonian Talmud, Mishnah Sotah 1:7: ―By a person's standard of measure, is he, too, measured‖.
Babylonian Talmud, Shabat 127b: ―How you judge others, does God judge you‖.
The Torah is the “perfect law of liberty" that we are to judge by:(23) ―For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in
a glass:
(24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he
was.
(25) But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed‖. (Jam 1:2 3 - 25)
Some Christians have a hard time understanding what Y‘shua says about judging, because when they hear
it outside of its context, it sounds as if Y‘shua is saying, "Have no discernment – just ignore sin!‖ This doesn't
seem right to them, so they put it aside; but if they knew what His words meant in His time, they would see
their brilliance. It seems to be related to a well-known saying of Y‘shua‘s day, which was, "Judge every
person in favourable terms" (Mishnah, Avot 1:6). That saying came from a rabbinic interpretation of Lev
19:15, "You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but
you are to judge your neighbor fairly‖. The rabbis said that if we want to be entirely fair in judging our
neighbors, we should always give people the benefit of the doubt, or "judge favourably".
A parable was told about a man who works for a farmer for three years and when he goes to him to ask for
his pay, the farm owner says he has nothing to give him. The man refrains from anger but leaves in sorrow.
A few days later, the farmer brings him everything he owes him plus three carts of extra gifts, and asks him
what he was thinking when he said he couldn't pay him. The worker said that he had assumed that the
farmer must have had a legitimate reason and that he was acting honourably. The farmer exclaimed that this
was exactly the case! His son wouldn't study the Scriptures, and he had rashly vowed all his possessions to
Abba Father in his prayers for his son. He had been excused from the vow; and now that he could give the
worker the money, he had hurried to pay him what he owed—plus much more. The farmer praised the hired
hand, saying, "And as for you, just as you have judged me favourably, may the Lord judge you favourably!"
(B. Talmud, Shabbat 127b). It is fascinating to see that this last line is very reminiscent of the words of
Y‘shua – ―For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured
to you‖. (Matt 7:2, Luke 6:38)
In almost every situation, we have the choice to look for a good motivation or a bad motivation behind other
people's behaviour. The way we interpret others' motivations has a profound effect on our reactions toward
them. If we practice this habit of judging favourably, it can transform our personalities! We will become kinder
and more patient, and our attitudes towards others become more loving as we assume the best, rather than
the worst about them.