How easy it
is to judge rightly after one sees what evil comes from judging wrongly. - Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865)
Fact:
We are constantly making judgments regarding attitudes and behaviors: both that
of others with whom we live and work and our selves.
I
judge whether or not an employee is fulfilling his job description and whether
or not it is a case where there needs to be more training or is a failure of
fidelity. If I do not do so, I will be “weighed and found wanting” (judged) by
my boss.
If
you have ever had dealings with the Department of Human Resources (HR), pretty
much their entire job description is making judgments and handing down moral
edicts.
When
someone lies to us, cheats us, steals from us, do we not judge such behaviors as
morally wrong?
I
could go on and on but you get my point. We can’t get through life without making
judgments or being judged.
So
how is it that we are constantly being told, “Judge not lest you be judged”? If
the people running around being all judgey about the judgers would take a
breath and think about their assertion, they would see just how nonsensical the
statement is.
“But
Jesus said…” Isn’t it amazing when people whom reject Christ as being God Incarnate
take some of His sayings, usually out of context, and throw them in the faces
of others? But tell me, did Jesus make judgments: in the memoirs of the
Apostles, do we see Him judging attitudes and behaviors? You bet we do. And you
can’t say, “But He was sinless and, therefore, qualified to make such
judgments,” when you don’t believe He is the Son of God. The writers of the New
Testament never claimed to be without sin and they all made judgments between
good and bad, and right and wrong.
Come
on: if judging others is always wrong,
then what, pray tell, are those people screaming, “Judge not!” doing? Why, yes,
Skippy, they are judging others!
Speaking of
Hypocrites
When
you read the entire passage on making judgments from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:1-3) it
becomes apparent that He is giving a very stern warning about hypocrisy.
Verse 2 Watch it
guys: by whatever standard you are using to judge others, you will be judged.
How will you fare when this happens?
Verse 3 What are
you doing judging the splinter in the other guy’s eye, when you have a log in
your own? - How often are we actually projecting the evil in our own hearts
upon others, because we know that’s what we are feeling or thinking or wanting
to do or are secretly doing?
However,
notice that Jesus then says that by clearing up my own eyesight that I will
then be able to help the other guy with the splinter in his eye. In other
words, Yeah, verily, and forsooth: get your own life and heart in order so that when you do make judgments you
aren’t projecting or evading your own failures and, consequently, guilty of
hypocrisy.
Making
moral judgments are part of daily life. However, it is not about going all Law
and Order on others by passing out Moses-like edicts and condemnations or seeking
to highlight your moral superiority. It is about seeking to gently and
patiently helping the fallen to bear the burden of his failures so as to
restore him. *
So,
by all means, go forth and make judgments. Just make sure you begin with your
own heart and life.
*
Galatians 6
Copyright,
Monte E Wilson, 2016
This hit home. Recently I have found myself becoming more judgemental. Making statements like, "That bag of chips is the last thing you need," or, "Don't you know cigarettes are bad for you?"
ReplyDeleteI have become aware of these thoughts. Whom I to Jude? I have had chips when I shouldn't have, I have smoked cigarettes years past, and I guarantee you I do other things today that one could certainly judge me for.
FOR me it's looking at the souls and sending love that their pain may heal, as I search inside for my own healing. It makes it a judge free Zone for me. At least that's my goal. Thanks Monte for a great and we'll needed reminder.