Judging people…

Judging People and Eating Chocolate have a Lot in Common

All I’ve got to do is say the names and you feel something – Charlie Sheen, Brendan Fevola, Pauline Hanson.
What is that feeling? It is at once so bitter and yet so sweet. I feel tainted by their behaviour and attitudes but it feels so good to join everyone in criticising their painfully obvious shortcomings. I feel annoyed at them but I feel elevated by putting them down. And I feel safe about putting them down because everyone agrees they have behaved very badly.

What is that feeling? It’s like eating dark chocolate. And it’s hard not to come back for another bite.
Ahh! I know. It is the feeling that comes when you judge someone! Bitter, yes, but also the sweet taste of self congratulation at having avoided their pitfalls. And sweet with the feeling of togetherness as those around you agree with you.

It’s hard to believe that Jesus took such a dim view of it, but there it is…

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ( Matthew 7)

There is no mistaking what he meant. It is totally and utterly banned. And he adds a most disturbing threat that takes the attention off the ‘bad guy’ and puts the attention back on me- I will be judged using my own standards! That should be a good thing, shouldn’t it??? But perhaps it would be safer to steer clear of judging people altogether no matter how good it feels and no matter how much the media encourages us to pick up a stone and have a throw.

But perhaps Jesus will allow us in the Church to help each other out with our sins seeing the Sermon on the Mount has encouraged us to correct what is wrong in our lives? But again Jesus seems to put the brakes on that idea…

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ( Matthew 7)

He seems to be saying to the average Christian that our judgment is skewed when it comes to seeing faults in others compared to seeing faults in ourselves. And that this will quickly lead us into farcical hypocrisy. Just like the judgmental church elder who complains about how unloving people are at church and therefore drives them away!

It would seem only those who have found the log in their own eye, who have felt the size of this ‘log of sin’ and realised they are a sinner in need of Jesus’ Grace – that this is the only person who is likely to be of any help in supporting a fellow Christian through their struggle with sin. Only they can be a humble mentor and point to God’s grace in their own walk.

The self righteous are not only incapable of providing the help needed to remove ‘a speck’ in your brother’s eye, they are also incapable of seeing themselves through Christ’s eyes.

Jesus said,

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Mt 5

It would appear that our little church community is meant to show the light of God. But perhaps this does not mean we have to be a perfect community of righteous souls that judges all those who do not meet the lofty standards of the Sermon on the Mount. This is often how the wider community thinks of us when they call us a bunch of hypocrites.

Perhaps it just means that we sinners are being built into something beautiful by God’s grace and power and we have no word of judgement or condemnation for those who have not yet tasted of the goodness of God revealed by Jesus and who struggle on in life without Him.

Let Grace have its work within us and leave the ‘chocolate’ of judgement untasted on the shelf.