Judging For Yourself

Judge not lest ye be judged also. How many times have you heard this or even said it yourself?   It seems that Matthew 7:1 is being taken out of context more and more.  Everyone knows this verse, it seems, and will quote it to make their point whether they believe the Bible or not.  People seem to think it means we aren't supposed to think for ourselves or disagree with anyone else. Of course by saying this a person often implies that it's perfectly acceptable for the them to judge the person they are quoting it to.  How ironic, since it's context is about being hypocritical.   It's about seeing our own faults for what they are before we fault someone else.  It's about making sure that we are dealing with our issues.  We must not ignore our problems while putting our neighbor's under the microscope.  Perhaps it's time our society learns the difference between using good judgement and being judgmental. 

It is possible to use discernment without condemning, and one does not have to condone a persons actions in order to love them as I have often heard folks insinuate.  I will explain a couple of rather ordinary way this applies to me.  I do not mean to offend anyone.  Hopefully these examples are not too controversial.  Discernment leads me to disapprove of smoking cigarettes, and therefore I do not engage in this behavior or encourage it, but I still love people who do it.  If I could help a person quit I would, but I don't have the right to condemn them.  Please understand though, I may have to keep my distance at certain times because of the second hand smoke.  I also do not approve of dirty jokes. It's not that I don't love a person who tells them, but I may not be able to spend a lot of time with that person because my mind is too easily drug into the gutter.  There is a long list of things, some specifically spelled out in the Bible and others that are not mentioned, that this concept can be applied to.  We should learn to discern what is right and wrong and live by our beliefs, but knowing the correct  criteria for establishing this discernment is crucial.

Judgement to condemn or pardon is the right of God alone and given to no man.  Only He is perfect, and only He is able to judge righteously.  He would be completely justified in punishing all of us, but He is gracious and paid for our ransom with the blood of His own Son.  The cost had to be covered.  Jesus paid this price willingly in obedience to His Father and out of compassion for us.  He is love, and therefore He acted lovingly toward us, giving up the opportunity to give us the  penalty we deserve, and giving us gifts we do not deserve instead.  

 Judgement that discerns is a gift from God that should be exercised continually by all of His children. We would all do well to learn discernment.  Understanding that an action is wrong and avoiding the temptation to do it is wise, as is knowing what is right and proceeding to carry that out.  We live in a world that is trying to blur the line between right and wrong.  There is a double standard that says, "everyone should have the right to do as they please, as long as it doesn't affect my special interest."  There are those who would defend a persons choice to have an abortion, but would punish them for leaving their dog in the car while they run into the grocery store.  There are others who would condemn the person who had an abortion and yet would abuse their own child.  To use a more commonplace example, there are those who would criticize someone for smoking cigarettes while over indulging in unhealthy doughnuts themselves.  We are inconsistent.  There is only one way to eliminate this type of contradiction, and that is to acknowledge the line where God drew it.  As humans we are unable to establish a system without contradiction because we all have a conflict within us.  Eventually we will find that we want two different things that cannot exist together.  Our only hope for justice is surrender to God's will.

The following words are part of a song by Casting Crowns, "I'm not pointing my finger, I'm holding out my hand."  The song is called "Love You With The Truth,"  and it's about loving people and inviting them to meet Jesus just as they are.  He accepts us with all our flaws and failures.  Jesus gave His life so that everyone could be delivered from their destructive lifestyle, and all of us are born self-destructing in one way or another.  Those of us who have been freed from our bondage should be eager to share with others how they too can be released from their chains.  Sometimes it seems we are more interested in pointing out the shackles a person wearing than we are in shining a light on the key.  Jesus told the Pharisees, as recorded in Mark 2:17, that it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick.  He told them He didn't come to call the righteous; He came to call the sinner.  The truth is:  none of us is righteous.   We are all sick or in a state of recovery.  The question is:  Are we willing to admit it and ask the Great Physcian for the cure?