Judging One Another
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 7:2
It is typical of human beings to find fault in another person while thinking about they said about you. Your thoughts begin to defend your actions and the other person is accused of what you think happened. In addition your mind will manufacture false evidence to defend your ego. Then we personally condemn the accused for what our ego has made them guilty of without allowing that person the right to defend their actions. This leads to an exaggeration of facts and unwarranted misunderstanding in our minds. What we don’t understand is when the mind forms opinions it does not require its opinions to be right especially when it does not require an effort to understand, love or keep peaceful relations with the other person. Your mind has been blinded with the pain of your inner man.
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
Your eyes seldom look seriously at what you do to see if you are at fault. When we don’t look at what we have done the situation only get worse. Everything a person does from that point on strengthens the convictions of his accuser. Unfortunately Men and women reap what they sow because over time hatred and mistrust forms a barrier for any future relations with that person.
Judging another person becomes a moral issue because the accuser did not allow the accused his or her right to defend what they have been accused of. What will you do if your neighbor puts you to shame? (Proverbs 25:7-8) Judging anyone without hearing his or her side of the story demonstrates a selfish attitude that you have become a law unto your self. It also reflects no need or desire to love that person. Judging another person without establishing the truth of the matter lacks prudence. When the accuser is a Christian, it makes you wonder if he or she believes that forgiveness is among the most important commandments of God. Didn’t Jesus say?
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15
A number of heartaches could be avoided from developing a misunderstanding into open warfare just by talking to the other person to clear the air. When thoughts are not controlled and forgiveness is not considered one can easily dishonor the condemned with his emotions alone. When that happens, the accuser declares war on the accused rather than attempting to forge a bond for peace. He may attempt to quench a raging fire by keeping the matter bottled up inside him, but sooner or later the cork will pop. God demands those involved in the accusation confront each other so that both sides can be heard and a just decision will be made.
Without confronting the matter any further, the accusations places a wedge between the accused and the accuser. Once the wedge is in place anything the accused does, drives the wedge deeper and eventually the hammer of complaints separate two people God loves. In the final stages of uncontrolled thoughts an all out war develops turns the dispute into distrust, bitterness, hatred and finally violence. What is even worse is that the accused doesn’t know what he or she has done. Who do you suppose is aiding and orchestrating the final outcome. Aren’t we forgetting God’s will in this matter?
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Romans 2:1
Jesus said to look at the plank in your eye. Paul is saying that you have no right to judge the sin of another because you commit the same sins. You may be saved but that doesn’t stop a Christian from being a Judge.
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 7:2
God is saying you will be judged in the same manner that you judge other people. In other words, you will reap the same kind of judgment that you have sown. But we should look at the other side of the coin. What if you did not judge but chose to forgive instead. Will you not reap the forgiveness that you have sown.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37
In Luke’s parable about the unjust Judge we learn of a man whose job was to settle disputes. We also learn of the persistent woman who pleaded with the judge for justice. The judge refused to hear her case for some time and sent her away empty-handed. However, the woman continued to petition her plea until the judge recognized her persistence. Although he was an unjust judge that neither feared God nor cared about men, he granted justice to the woman not for the woman’s sake, but his own. (Luke 18:2-5)
Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! James 5:9
Like the unjust judge, who will benefit the most from denying justice to the person offending your ego? If we were to air our differences we will have a way to understand what really happened. At the same time bringing the pain out in the open gives you the opportunity to heal the pain. If we choose not to air or settle the grievance, we have chosen not to forgive, therefore God will not forgive us. Its prudent to consider the outcome of holding grievances to understand who benefits the most from forgiveness?
The truth is no one benefits from the disputes we keep under wraps for it can give birth to sin. Those grievances affect the commitment we had with our Lord. Holding grudges in silence is a effective process that Satan uses to destroy the relationship that Christians have with God. Who do you suppose is aiding and orchestrating the final outcome?
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:12-13
Notice how God confronted man with sin. Adam and Eve made a huge mistake when they chose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were encouraged to think that they would be like God knowing good from evil. When God went into the garden to have fellowship with Adam and Eve he heard Adam say, we hid from you because we were naked.
Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" Genesis 3:11
God could have immediately formed a decision in his mind to condemn Adam and Eve. However, he asked Adam and Eve to confirm what he heard and saw before taking any action. God may have driven them away from the tree of life, but not before he clothed them with the skins of animals. Was providing them with clothes out of kindness or was it a matter of forgiving their sin?
Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 2 Samuel 14:14
The penalty for eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was death for God said,
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:17
God did not end their life or his relationship with them, he devised a way to make future relations possible. God also worked with Cain when he saw his anger in his downcast face over his sacrifice that wasn’t accepted in the way he thought it should. God confronted him as well and asked Cain why he was angry. Then advised him that sin was crouching at his door; it desired to have him, but listen up Cain – you must learn to master sin. (Genesis 4:6-7)
Cain’s anger grew as he considered the matter and then chose to kill his brother. God confronted Cain the second time and asked him. "Where is your brother Abel?" and gave him an opportunity to defend himself. "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Then the Lord said to Cain,
"What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. You are under a curse and driven from the ground where your brothers blood cries out to me. (Genesis 4:9-12)
God exacted a just penalty for the sins of Adam, Eve and Cain, but they lived out their lives because God devised a way so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. Confronting the pain of an insult is not only your opportunity to air out your differences but it gives you the ability to understand the other person. Most people are not out to offend or harm you in any way. For the most part people inflict the pain on themselves through misunderstanding. However, confronting the problem is a way to devise a way to become closer through forgiveness.
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