April 19, 2010
|
How do I judge thee? Let me count the ways
From the Pulpit I want to take the word “judge” and direct your thoughts to the most well know, but most misunderstood, and most misapplied words ever spoken. I am talking about Jesus' words in Matthew 7:1, “Stop judging others.” This verse has quickly become a kind of trump card that people use today to justify their unwise choices. When we call out someone for wrong behavior, that person quickly pulls out the card and responds, “Don't judge me.” Or “Who gave you the right to judge me?” The statement, “Don't judge me” typically is spouted by someone who has no idea what Jesus was talking about. So, what did Jesus mean? For sure, Jesus did not intend for His words to refer the judge of a courtroom. If Jesus meant we never can make a judgment about someone, then He did not follow His own advice. Jesus often told people how to behave and specifically what to do and what not to do. Jesus never hesitated to call out people when they were behaving wrongly. Can Matthew 7:1 be any clearer than in The Message paraphrased Bible: “Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults. I hasten to point out that Jesus did not mean we can't make wise assessments about people and their behavior, nor that we cannot notice or bring up someone else's failings, nor that we just let everyone do their own thing. Certainly Jesus did not mean we shouldn't judge open and obvious immoral behavior. Jesus had in mind the snap judgments we often make about other people in which we criticize them and size them up without having all the facts. We should not be guilty of prejudging people or coming down on people with critical, condemning judgments and holier-than-thou attitudes. Native Americans had their way of saying, “Don' judge people until you've walked in their moccasins.” For some reason we find it easy to jump to negative conclusions about people. We are quick to size people up, and see the wrong they do. We aren't so quick, however, to see our own failings. While we attribute bad intentions and evil purposes to some people, we seldom realize the faults we see in others are often a reflection of our own. We are like the little boy who pulled out a picture of his school class. He began to describe each classmate. “This is Robert. He hits everyone. This is Sarah. She seldom listens to the teacher. This is Mark. He chases us. And this is me. I'm just sitting there minding my own business.” Funny, isn't it, how we see others doing wrongly while we see ourselves as completely righteous? With little information, and with absurd pride, we make critical comments about others. The big question is, How do we prevent ourselves from engaging in condemning judgments? How do we assess people with some discrimination but without a harsh, judgmental spirit? First, admit we can't know everything that's in a person's heart. We can't see all the motives. We can't see people as God sees them. Second, seek God's wisdom for knowing how to make discerning judgments without being judgmental. Third, we must clean up our own act before we tamper in the lives of others. Fourth, always respond to people with unconditional love, and give them the benefit of the doubt. Last, let's declare the words of John 3:17: “For God did not send His Son (Jesus) into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” Jesus did not come to be hyper-critical of people, but to show them the best way to live in light of the ultimate judgment to come. Gary Hardin is pastor of Enon Grove Baptist Church in Cedar Bluff. He and his wife, Linda, live in Centre. Comments can be sent to: garyhardin@tds.net. |