Judgy McJudgerson
Notes
Transcript
Judgy McJudgerson
Judgy McJudgerson
Matt 7:1-5
Humans are great at seeing the flaws in others and often eager to “help” fix them. We are actors, hypocrites, magicians constantly redirecting attention from our own big, hard-to-solve very personal failings and failures. We abandon our objective rational evaluation of others, we abandon the moral high ground, we abandon our need to “just point out” or “just fix it.” The Christian is always at the foot of the cross, always receiving grace and mercy, and therefore only and always always giving grace and mercy. We want to be measured by Jesus, we measure others by Jesus.
Judgy McJudgerson
Judgy McJudgerson
I have a game for us this morning. This is an actual board game.
I don’t know how to play. I don’t know what one does here… so we are just going to have the teenagers come up and we will roast them for 20 minutes. Really get ‘em.
Why does it already sound fun? Just me, maybe… I’m a terrible person.
Judging others. Why do we love it so much? Why does it feel good?
The latest Barna poll has people who self-describe as “Nones” (aka, no religious faith), the top two descriptors they pick for Christians: Judgmental and Hypocrtical. Nearly half of people surveyed picked those two as the best descriptors. Ouch.
Isn’t it funny that those people are judging us evangelicals for being too judgy. Ironic.
And they are right, the evangelical church is too judgy.
And here I am judging the evangelical church for being too judgy.
And there you are… probably judging me for going on too long about being judgy...
And where does it stop??? Stop the MADNESS!
Jesus says:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
Recap
Recap
These chapter breaks are meaningful in that they were added with the intention of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 13th century… he did his best to pick good moments to pause… but they aren’t perfect.
Jesus didn’t take a 10 minute intermission, I don’t think. This flows from what comes before in the Sermon on the Mount.
So it builds on this idea of treasures in heaven, good treasuring that seeks the eternal, seeks first the Kingdom… and so is free from worry and anxiety. Those are taken care of. Even before, this is a life of righteousness, where one has turned aside from anger and contempt, from intentional lust, from verbal manipulation…
And Jesus says… Judge not.
Judge Not
Judge Not
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
This is a Present Active Imperative which means “don’t continue doing this!” Don’t be constantly doing this like you are. Stop it off!
… or you’ll get it! What will you get?
You’ll get judged!
The Measure
The Measure
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
Okay… I have questions. Like… a lot of questions.
Who is going to be doing the judging in response? Is this God’s judgment? God will judge me with the same standard, the same measure as I judge or measure others? That’s maybe terrifying… or maybe it’s a way I can control the way that God judges me??? But isn’t God going to judge me according to His perfect standard no matter what I do? (Or, spoilers, by the righteousness of Jesus).
Or will other people judge me like I judge them? Is this a promise or more like wisdom literature, a common scenario?
So here’s the trick I like to use. If I judge others by “God’s standard” then, since I’m going to be judged by God’s standard anyhow… I’m good.
I have now talked myself into judging others as much as I want! (I literally read a John Wesley sermon that basically landed here).
But… isn’t that the Pharisees whole thing? And they were WAY better at both knowing God’s law and His standard… and better at keeping it than I am. Something off there.
Am I capable of judging by God’s standard truly?
Many years ago, maybe I was 19 or 20, my friends girlfriend came to church. And she was wearing a mini skirt to church. I know… scandalous!
No one said anything, she was welcome at church, all those good things.
But at lunch afterwards… different story. The kind of regretful language, like “oh, bless her heart” kind of tone. Yeah… it was unfortunate what she was wearing… maybe someone should take her aside at some point. Probably not appropriate to wear to church, just not very modest, all those things.
Then I said, “Hey, y’all, stop! Show some respect!” They were kind of taken aback. I said “Show some respect! I wouldn’t have had that kind of courage if I’d forgotten to wear pants!”
Oh man. We laughed and laughed. Hilarious! Judging others feels so good… especially when you get a zinger in!
I can’t tell you how many times that scene has replayed in my life since.
Conviction of the Holy Spirit! Imagine the heart break if she had heard that! But the truth is, that was the ugliness in my heart.
But let’s examine that judgment.
Isn’t there a place for modesty in our attire, in all places, certainly in the house of the Lord? Yes!
And there is a place for judgment in evaluating that, for myself, and maybe people in my care.
But was that the measure I was using?
No. I was essentially a stranger, I didn’t know her heart, her wardrobe, her history, her laundry state… I don’t know anything, really.
I’m not using God’s standard, I’m using my own ignorant and subjective judgment slightly influenced by God’s actual standard.
In this case, really slightly… because I can’t point to the law that says “mini skirts in church are wrong.” It’s an inference.
Is that the standard I want applied to me? Is that the measure? Not God’s law at all, some stranger’s ignorant and inept application of a sad version of it.
Can you imagine, you get to the courtroom and there’s Todd, ready to condemn you to life or death based on a glance. “It’s okay, though… he read the Bible once!” Yikes.
Or… you die and go before the throne of God. But it ISN’T God Almighty, God is letting Jerry take a swing.
No! Awful!
It isn’t just that we are BAD at judging and our judgment is BAD. It is also that we are sinful, we have our own sin and struggle blinding us, it twists our vision and renders
Do you want to be judged by a human’s ignorant and subjective judgment… or the grace and mercy of Jesus?
Pick a measure.
Choose a measure. By the measure you use, so you will be measured.
A Place for Judgment
A Place for Judgment
But wait!!! Can the conclusion POSSIBLY be that we never judge?
We can’t function in life without judgment. We judge whether the light is red or green. We judge whether to put on a coat or not. We have people called “Judges” whose whole job is to literally judge people. God appointed “Judges” and named a book in the Bible after them.
21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.
That’s about judging things, in particular prophecies with discernment
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
That’s things and works, not people. The people need Jesus.
What about leadership, particularly inside the church?
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
That’s inside the body of Christ, inside the church, through appropriate leadership, where we have asked one another to “help us with righteousness.” Similarly when Paul gives Timothy instructions on judging appropriate elders and deacons… that is inside the church… and must be done with all fear and trembling.
A parent, raising their child, has to use judgment and bring correction and discipline to train up in righteousness.
And all of those, every time we are in a position of authority that requires this kind of judgment, we should absolutely go forward with fear and trembling…
Log in the eye
Log in the eye
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
So Jesus gives one of the most powerful visual metaphors in history. One of the all-time greats. This is one that went straight into the imagination of everyone who ever heard of Jesus. If someone can remember 4 or 5 of Jesus’ teachings… this is likely one.
Speck. Little splinter. No… maybe an eyelash or something?
I freak out when something’s in my eye. Never did master contacts, but I helped Logan learn his. Took him weeks to be able to do it himself. Instinctive reaction to get anything in there OUT!
I got shot in the eye in January with a nerf bullet. Hurt for a long time, dark spot in my vision, visits to the doctors and all. I’m fine.
Can you imagine a “log!?” A plank! Or, as the KJV has it, a beam. Not a small piece of wood, this is wood used for construction, this is IMPOSSIBLY large item to be in your eye. The imagery is ludicrous, his audience is dying at the mental image, this is silly.
And sad… because it’s so true.
The solution is obvious. Who has the more immediate problem? You are triaging, who gets into the ER first? And then, they have the NERVE to say “let me help you.”
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
Oh… bless your heart. That’s what he’s saying. It isn’t pure helpfulness… it is judgment.
It is “oh, honey, those clothes are inappropriate, let’s get you a towel to wrap around your waist.”
It’s Judgy McJudgerson.
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Hypocrite
Hypocrite
Remember how Jesus is using this word? It doesn’t mean what we think it means.
It is an “actor”… and he used it for people who give in public for public praise, for people who pray in public, fast in public, for public praise. They are putting on a show, a scene, a play… the point is to manage, to manipulate people’s perception of us… and think that we’re great.
Doesn’t that apply here, too?
Whether it’s yelled to everybody, or just that guy… or maybe even managing my own self-image… it makes me look better if everyone can pay more attention to what’s wrong with Drew!
Oh, next, what’s wrong with Ralph! Let’s fix that guy next! Pay attention to his struggle, his sin.
Especially if theirs is maybe more visible than mine!
And maybe there’s seems easier to fix than mine!
Because in the realest moments… we all know our sin, our failings, the many ways we fall short… the many times we just can’t do it. And we usually don’t have quick fixes. There are traumas that leave scars. Maybe we are wrestling to forgive for hurts that go deep, even if they were long ago. Maybe we are struggling with addictions, public or secret. There’s some shame lodged up in here.
But if I can just keep everyone from seeing the log in my own eye.
Maybe that’s why it feels so good to judge others. To point the finger.
The old “you point a finger, three fingers point back at you.” That’s why I always point with my whole hand!
We feel better, bigger, holier by comparison.
Everyone, including us, isn’t looking at our own failures for at least a minute.
This, church, is supposed to be a place where we don’t have to put on a show. We are sinners together at the foot of the cross. It doesn’t matter that you’re bringing a 3.5 today and I’m bringing a 8.7. That’s all meaningless at the foot of the cross.
In fact, if I am truly seeing my own sin… it’s going to look huge. What happens if I hold a small piece of wood up to my eye? It looks HUGE!!! And your splinter from over here? Can’t even see it!
A Christian is somebody who always sees your own sin as a plank and the sins of other people as specks. Religious people always see their own sins as specks and everybody else’s sins as a plank.
Timothy Keller
If I come with grace and mercy, love and care, truly, not just the appearance of it but the bedrock reality of it… there may be a place for me to help you with the speck in your eye. When judgment comes along for the ride… I know I have a plank in my eye, if only the one called Judgment! Hypocrisy!
Take the plank out of your own eye… not “then you can judge your brother freely.”
Then you can help them. And they can help you. From a place of seeing rightly. And that means seeing like Jesus… who is on the planet at that very moment, for all their sins. Heading to the cross. Grace and Mercy all the way down from the very start.
This is Jesus saying “Stop judging...” Him who will judge the Living and the Dead, the only Righteous Judge…
The non-Christians you are judging… they don’t need sin-management or sin-correction… they need Jesus. More than their need to dress modestly, or stop living in sin, or stop doing meth. They need Jesus.
The Christians you’re judging… are you sitting forgiven at the foot of the cross? Have they asked for your help? Or has God placed their spiritual care in your hands, a parent, a leader, an elder, a pastor? Very rarely, and very carefully, like surgery on the eye, prayed up and always humbly with all the love, care, and grace of Jesus… Without hypocrisy. Love and love alone.
Disciples live completely out of the bond connecting them with Jesus Christ. Their righteousness depends only on that bond and never apart from it. Therefore, it can never become a standard which the disciples would own and might use in any way they please… Disciples can encounter other people only as those to whom Jesus himself comes. Jesus’ struggle for the other person, his call, his love, his grace, his judgment are all that matters.
If the disciples judge, then they are erecting standards to measure good and evil. But Jesus Christ is not a standard by which I can measure others. It is he who judges me and reveals what according to my own judgment is good to be thoroughly evil… Judging is the forbidden evaluation of other persons. It corrodes simple love. Love does not prohibit my having my own thoughts about others or my perceiving their sin, but both thoughts and perceptions are liberated from evaluating them. They thereby become only an occasion for that forgiveness and unconditional love Jesus gives me.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Community of Disciples Is Set Apart”
This is the heart of the Christian. From the foot of the cross, I receive grace and mercy, healing and forgiveness.
I look over and see my fellow sinner. On the way to the cross, maybe running away, maybe hiding, maybe searching, maybe seeking.
And I see their sin… we see it. We recognize it. It is an occasion for love. An occasion for forgiveness and unconditional love.
May we repent of our habits and patterns of judgment.
May we repent of our words and looks of judgment and condemnation.
May we repent of all the ways we have justified our judgment.
And may we find healing and forgiveness at the cross of Jesus, who can bring sight to all we who are blind.