Welcome to part 2 of the series “who are you to judge?” coming from Matthew 7:1-6 I am really not sure if anyone is reading this but I’ll keep going.  Today we are going to look at verse 2 and how we will be judged with the same judgement that was used when we judged others and with the same measurement.  

The first thing we see here in verse 2 is “for in the way you judge you will be judged”  This is a clear statement that the one doing the judging and criticizing will be judged for the very thing he is criticizing.  Whatever he is criticizing, he will condemned for the same thing, not by man but by God Himself.  This alone should move us to care and love and to live a life of compassion.

Secondly we see that the one doing the judging and criticizing will be judged with equal measure that he uses to judge.  I found that it could be stated several ways.  

• The Law of equal judgment        
• The law of equal measure
• The law of equal retributions
• The law of reciprocal action
• The law of equal weight
• The law of equal proportion
• The law of equal retaliation
• The law of equal sin

However you look at it you will measured with the same measure you have used.  

But it really does not stop there James tells us that the one who does not show mercy will receive a merciless judgment James 2:13

Jesus takes it even farther when he tells us in Luke 6:36-37 ”Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

We must be so very careful when we have the attitude of setting ourselves up as judge and when we begin to immediately become critical of others and what they are doing. 

We are told in Romans that if we judge others and criticize others we have no excuse we had better expect to be judged ourselves.  ”Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” Romans 2:1

This is serious so often we pay little attention to our judgmental and critical attitude and we think it is ok.  But as was already shared from James 2:13 God will forgive a repentant sinner but it is also clear the there is no mercy for the one that does not show mercy.   This is a scary thought and this alone should cause us to really stop before we judge.

I will close today’s post with this.  When we think of casting judgment and being critical, when we think of ourselves as maybe better then someone else or we attempt to knock someone down a little.  Think of these two passages of scripture and think of being compassionate and not judgmental and critical.

For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. (NLT) James 2:11-12

Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! (NLT) James 5:9

May God’s word penetrate your heart

Yesterday I started a little blogging series on judging so today I will continue with that series.  As stated yesterday the first thing I notice from Matthew 7:1-6 is that there is a definite command “do not judge” I also stated the greek word for judge used is (krinite) which also means to criticize.

Often times when a person has done what others feel is wrong and fallen the first reaction is to judge that person but judgment often times misses the point.  

When someone has messed up as we all do shouldn’t this be a time for compassion towards that person.  This should be a time of reaching out to the person and making an offer to love on that person and to pull them in even closer, not push them further and further away.  This is a time to speak kind words of them not bite and tear them down with destructive talk.  (Ephesians 4:30-32)

We should take time to show loving compassion for those who have come short why?  Well we realize that we too have come short so many times and in many cases much worse then the one we are judging.

Then why is it that people so often and so quickly move to judging and criticizing?  Not only that why is that so often these are the what we might call “Strong Christians”.  There are several reason why this takes place and let me say as I state these this was me and probably still is to a certain extent.  

1.  When we judge or criticize another person it boosts our self-image.  When we tear someone else down it makes us seem better at least that is how we see it, somehow we are better then that other person.  It inflates our pride, ego, and our own self image.

2.  We enjoy criticism.  Think of all the successful talk shows, movies, and so forth that are based primarily on this issue we love to hear and share bad news and others shortcomings.

3.  When we judge and criticize it makes us feel as if somehow our own life is better than the person that failed.

4.  When we judge and criticize it helps us justify ourselves and all the shortcomings that we have.  We begin to rationalize our own failures because we can point out failures in other people.

5.  Judgment and criticism we think is a sign of strength.  When we criticize someone else we believe it just once again proves our narrow minded beliefs by the other persons failure to live up to that standard.

6.  Judgment and Criticism gives us a chance for hurt and revenge.  We feel that somehow that person that we are judging and being critical of deserves it.  Our reasoning go’s like this “if he hurt me, he deserves to be hurt.”  So we look for ways to hurt them.

I am going to close with reasons why we should not be so fast to judge and criticize.

1.  We never know all of the circumstance and all of the facts.  What happened and why it happened are never really known.  So often there are all kinds of things that have taken place behind the scenes that are not seen by others.  Think about just these relationships Children and parents, wives and husbands, employer and employee, friend and friend, in all these relationships things happen behind closed doors so often.  In addition to that things are seldom remembered and when they are remembered the facts are messed up.  Usually the person that does the talking does not reveal the true fact but many times reveals only the fact that make them look good.  The one that is in a hurry to tell others the problem is the one that seeks self-justification.  The one that desires to be silent is the one who is caring and compassionate.  The spirit of silence is silent because it does not desire hurt for others.

2.  The second reason we should not be so quick to criticize and judge is that all people it does not matter who you are or what your position is come short, all fall, and all fail.  In addition to that we all sin (1 John 1:8, 10).  No one at any time is ever exempt from sin.  When we are quick to bring out the whip of judgment and criticism we have a big problem; we have forgotten that we are also sinners.  It is only when we acknowledge our own condition that we act with care and compassion to those that fall short.  We must realize though they may be failing now we failed before and we will fail again.  Sin is a cycle that is continuous and no one is exempt it started in the beginning when Adam and Eve ate of the tree and it will not end until Jesus returns.  Those that believe in Christ have His righteousness imputed upon them and we are dependent upon that (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:8-16).  We must always be seeking after God’s forgiveness and forgetting those things that are behind us.

I want to make it clear that I am not saying that we have a license to go out and sin all we want neither is our sin just excused.  We are not to continue in sin, not by being quick to judge and criticize nor by doing evil.  We all have weaknesses and shortcomings the person that really knows God is the one who is constantly seeking God.  ”And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

3.  Everything that there is to know about a person is never known.  How then can we judge and criticize?  Think about all the things that mold us into who we are.  Think about our parents what are they like, how were we treated for the 18 years we lived at home.  What did our fathers or mothers teach us?  What kid of friends did we have or do we have?  There are many factors that influence the person that may be failing.  Do we know what it is influencing them?  What kind of genes has this person inherited?  Are the loving, shy, strict, arrogant, strong, fiery?  There is so much that influences the human life that only Go can know a person well enough to judge him.  We can really never know someone well enough to pass judgment on them.

4.  Judging others usurps God’s authority.  When someone is critical and judges of another they are saying they have the right and are worthy to be the judge over other lives.  They are in essence claiming the right to be God, which is absolutely ridiculous.  Yet I believe most people including myself have laid claim to the right at one time or another, and some claim the right o exercise a judgmental critical spirit all the time. 

Lets not forget what the Scripture says “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master [God] he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (brackets added by me) (Romans 14:4, James 4:11-12)

Tomorrow I will look at verse 2 and how it is made very clear that we will be judged with the same judgement or criticism we use and we will be judged with the same measurement.

Let me also make it clear that this series is not talking about specific occasions when value judgments must be made, nor is it speaking of the careful discrimination that has to be made at times, finally it is not speaking of the moral judgment that we at times have to make either.  It is speaking of the harsh judgmental, and often critical spirit that has invaded our churches and our lives at times.