HERE COMES THE JUDGE
BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
(Matthew 7:1)
MEDITATION:
Do you ever pass judgment on others? If you do, what are your
judgments based on? Aren’t they usually based on your own
personal view of how people should be and how they should act?
In other words, if someone doesn’t fit into the standards you have
created in your mind, then they are going to be judged…by you.
As long as others do and say the same things you would say and
do, they are okay, but if they vary from your ideas and norms,
then you feel you are justified in being judgmental of them.
Is that really fair? You may have had a bad experience with someone
who had certain characteristics and as a result, you ‘glump’ everyone
with those characteristics, or similar characteristics, into the same
category (‘glump’ is a scientific term (wink, smile))
If judgment is based on how we believe others should act, then what
about those times when our ideas and opinions change as a result of
our emotions, or due to something going on in our own lives at the
time?
For instance, you may see a couple with a wayward child and
assume that they are bad parents. However, if your own child
becomes ‘wayward’, then you have a new perspective toward
those you thought were not being good parents. Why? Because
you have adjusted your standards based on your own experience.
Judging with a set of flexible standards is unfair and cannot
be trusted. Even if we tend to judge others based on God’s
standards, we are not qualified to take His place as judge.
After all, they are His standards, so He is qualified to judge
them, but we are not.
A fair judge bases his judgments on facts that are consistent, and not
on variable facts which change as a result of any number of influential
factors. If judgment standards are constantly changing, then how can
anyone know the boundaries at any given time?
To emphasize the point, if someone receives a ticket for speeding,
the amount of the fine is a fixed amount, based on how much they
were going over the speed limit. It doesn’t change to a different
amount for each person, based on how much the policeman likes
or dislikes the person. When the person goes to pay the fine, the
clerk doesn’t change the amount due.
What about prejudging? Have you ever pre-judged others? When
we prejudge someone, it means we have made a decision about them
without a comprehensive knowledge of them and their circumstances.
When it is someone we don’t know, we are judging them solely on the
way the look to us.
Read this brief story – it speaks volumes about prejudging:
There was a young, intelligent university student named Bill.
Bill was what some people call a “free spirit” or “hippie”. He
had wild long hair, and always wore the same old and torn
T-shirt, tattered jeans, and worn out shoes.
Across the street from the university campus was a conservative
church. The people there were rich, older and well-dressed. They
wanted to help the university students nearby, but did not know
exactly how to do it.
One day Bill decided to go visit this church by his university.
As usual, he went wearing his only jeans, torn T-shirt and his
dirty long hair. The church service had already started and
was full of people, so Bill walked down the center aisle looking
for a seat.
People were getting more and more uncomfortable as they watched
this unclean, wild-looking young man. Finally, Bill got to the front
and saw there were no more empty seats, so he just sat down on the
floor right in front of the preacher. No one had ever done that in this
church before!
By now, everyone was upset and distracted. Then, a respected old
church deacon got up and started ambling toward the front of the
church. Everyone was thinking:
“You can’t blame the deacon, he really
should correct this disrespectful young man.”
Everyone was watching.
Even the preacher stopped his sermon when the old man finally got
to the front. Then, they were all completely surprised to see the old
deacon drop his walking stick and very slowly sit down on the floor
next to this young hippie. He did not want this young man to sit alone
and feel unaccepted.
The people in the church were moved to tears.
Finally, the preacher said:
“What I am preaching about today you will
probably never remember. But what you
have just seen you will never forget!”
That older deacon understood what God meant
when He told us to “love others” and “judge not”.
Sometimes we judge others based solely on what we see in them
and whether or not they measure up to our own set of standards.
We may have decided that someone is rude and not very friendly,
as a result of one encounter we had with them.
However, that person could be going through a very stressful
time in their life and are desperately trying to find a solution
for their situation. He or she could also be having sleepless
nights and experiencing panic attacks.
Their closest friends know that he or she is a humble person
who is very friendly and cares about others, but right now he
or she is out of their comfort zone and they are not being their
‘normal’ self. While they are struggling with a situation, their
mind is preoccupied with other things.
Sometimes another person may be acting a certain way due to
a medical condition, or due to a reaction to some medicines they
are taking. For instance, a person with a hyperthyroid condition,
may seem impatient, and possibly abrupt. But when prescribed
the right medicine, the same person can become calm and patient.
Some people mask their real personality due to feelings of inferiority.
Quite often a person with an inferiority complex may appear loud
and boisterous, but in reality, they are trying to hide their weakness
from others (it is a weakness that others may not detect, but God knows
of it because He is God, and He knows the ‘real’ person).
Have you ever seen someone do something that wasn’t very smart and
you called them an idiot or an airhead, either in your mind, or out loud?
That is being judgmental!
We might say what they did was not very bright, but we are not
qualified to call the person stupid. We wouldn’t want someone
calling us names whenever we make a mistake, so we shouldn’t
be tagging others with derogatory names when they make one.
Jesus said,
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
(Luke 6:31)
There are some people who are intellectual giants, but they may
struggle with simple, everyday activities. Even though they often
perform normal physical activities in a haphazard way, they could
have the medical expertise required for saving lives. If you were a
patient and the person saved your life, would you call him or her
an idiot based on how they do other things? Of course not! Get
the idea?
The things listed above should help us to better understand why
we are not capable to judge or pre-judge anyone, and why God
is the only One qualified to judge others. God doesn’t see just a
snapshot in the life of someone, He sees the person’s entire life
from beginning to end. He knows the ‘real’ person He created.
God has the ability to see into a person’s heart and mind.
Regardless of the fact that a person may act in some way
as a result of things going on in their lives, God knows the
‘real person’ because He has the ability to know everything
about the person and not just what is seen on the surface.
People can hide some attitudes and feelings from others,
but nothing can be hidden from our Almighty Creator.
Most of us would not like to be judged by the same criteria we
use when we judge others. That is probably why the scriptures
warn us that if we judge others, we will be judged by the same
standards we use in judging them. Is that bad? Of course it is!
For with the judgment you pronounce you will be
judged, and with the measure you use it will be
measured to you.
(Matthew 7:2)
Let’s assume that you saw another Christian succumb to some
temptation that led to sinful actions. As a result, you judged
their Christianity to be insincere and invalid.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s
eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
(Matthew 7:3)
Now let’s assume that God sees you fall to a temptation that
resulted in sinful actions and He determines that you are not
really a member of His family. Why? Because He is using the
same measuring stick on you that you used on others. See how
dangerous it is when we try to usurp God’s position as judge?
Of course once we belong to Him, we are sealed for eternity,
but it gives us a good idea of how wrong it is to pass judgment
on others.
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of
your brother’s eye.
(Matthew 7:5)
God is telling us to spend time considering our own faults
rather than trying to find faults in others. This is probably
one of the reasons Jesus gives us the command to love each
other.
This is my command: Love each other.
(John 15:17)
When we love someone, we spend more time looking for their
good character qualities than we do in trying to indentify any
of their faults and failures (which we point out to them, and
possibly to others as well).
Have you ever been around someone who constantly points
out your flaws? How does it make you feel? It is difficult to
‘warm up’ to that person, isn’t it?
Now, contrast those feelings with the ones you have whenever
someone often reminds you of the things you do well (and who
may even tell others about them).
It’s difficult to be judgmental of others when we love them.
When we have love for someone, we have more patience and
tolerance of their failures, and spend more time encouraging
them about the things they do (or have done) well.
ACTION:
Are you guilty of judging or prejudging others? Would you
be happy if they judged you by the standards you use to judge
them? Quite often, the things we find most disturbing in others
can often be a major flaw in our own life.
I worked with a guy who would go ballistic when others would
exaggerate, however he was guilty of exaggerating often in his
own conversations. Whenever someone pointed this out to him,
he would vehemently deny it, but everyone knew he frequently
exaggerated.
Do you better understand the importance of leaving judgment
to God? Have you gotten a better idea of the dangers of taking
God’s place as judge (which is disobeying His instructions on
how to treat others)? Do you look for the good in others, or do
you focus on their faults? Do you point out their flaws and
failures to them, and to others (based on your perspective)?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You love each one of us with a love
that wants to see us be the best we can be. When it comes
to judging others, You are the only one qualified to judge.
Forgive me for the times I have judged others. Make me
aware of the times when I unfairly pass judgment on those
around me. Purify my heart, so that I can lovingly focus on
the positive qualities in others, and so You can use me for
drawing others into Your Godly family. Help me to be an
encourager and not a discourager to others. Thank You
for being a fair judge of me, and for encouraging me to
be the best I can be.”
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