Am I the judge?
“He was the only man I knew that didn’t have others for lunch.” This was the quote of a grown daughter speaking at her dad’s funeral that I attended over 20 years ago. I don’t remember much else about that ceremony, but those words are etched in my mind. The description was a powerful testimony. What a legacy.
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 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? 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? 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 7:1-5
The words of Jesus in Matthew 7 cut through our culture today. Read any news feed, any outlet, whether you agree or disagree, and man has put themselves on the throne. Media inundates our minds with the judgement of others, and social media magnifies the judgement. The dominos of judgement continue to fall as people throw out opinions of others on different platforms. And when we sit on the judge’s chair, the ruling is never positive. When we judge, we judge harshly.
The natural tendency is to put an individual into a certain group. After we correctly identify their group, we label them for what we think they believe. We chastise and roll our eyes at who they are, the type of individual that we believe them to be. And, if one should ever make a mistake, the gavel slams. Verdict guilty.
No one is immune to judging others. We all regularly sit in the judge’s seat, all the while polluting the minds of our children. Our kids hear our judgement of others, and, naturally, judgement is at the tip of their tongues. Kids eat other kids for lunch with their words and judgement. And we wonder why kids can be cruel in today’s world.
Today, try to go through life without saying negative words about anyone. When you begin to judge, talk negatively about someone else, think about “the plank” in your own eye. An almost impossible task, but let the words of Jesus in Matthew 7 stay on your mind. Inevitably, when we don’t judge, we feel better about ourselves and others, freeing us to love people. The second greatest commandment of the Bible is to love others. You can’t rightly love others while sitting on the judgement seat.
Can we improve? Yes. Is it a great area to focus on today? Absolutely. But, at the end of the day, we will fail. The thought that I will be judged like I judge others is a scary thought, as I am guilty. Thank you God for a Savior.
Impact others. Live generously.
Follow my blog.