Being Judgmental

 

³⁸ John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹ But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰ For the one who is not against us is for us. Mark 9:38-40 English Standard Version

               Currently our culture cherishes being judgmental, which is quite odd considering one of the most quoted scriptures is Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.” We enjoy judging; but, we despise being judged. Much of our political discourse centers around disparaging those we disagree with. Our embrace of judgementalism has carved great chasms in our political landscape which hamstring the government, making progress towards solving problems increasingly difficult. We spend so much time judging others for their supposed political beliefs we rarely focus on ideas, but that’s a subject for different time and different venue. Sadly, this trait has seeped into the body of Christ as well, often poisoning congregational life. Where differing scriptural interpretations created denominational separations, political differences have exacerbated this human failing. In our drive for conformity and our vision of doctrinal purity we forget an important passage.

⁴ Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4

Here Paul addresses judgementalism within the body. First, he reminds us that we are servants; something addressed in John 12:26 and many other scriptures. As servants, we must think carefully when evaluating or judging each other. Paul also reminds us that ultimately God is the true arbiter. I do not get to determine sheep or goat status. The master, God, withholds that task unto Himself. Interestingly, Paul closes this portion of a much longer passage concerning judgementalism, by reminding me that God is willing and able to make my brother stand. Paul is not telling me that anything goes, but when we evaluate and judge we must keep in mind that ultimately, we’re all servants and that how we judge influences how we will be judged. In this most popular scripture, Jesus gives us important insight and guidance regarding the tricky subject of judging.

¹ “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2

Somehow, the manner in which I judge will influence how God judges me. This alone ought to eliminate my harshness and narrow view of others. If I want God to be gentle and patient with me, then I need to display patience and gentleness with my brothers and sisters. How I view and subsequently treat my fellow believers is important. The relationship between my manner of judging and God’s ought to mitigate against much of the caustic commentary which sadly marks our Christian culture. We must always keep in mind that our own theology is failed. All of us, being human, develop flawed theology. We prayerfully examine scripture, desperately trying to understand who God is and what He desires. But in the end, we all fail and must rely on God’s mercy and grace. If I trust God to deal with my own failings, shouldn’t I extend the same trust toward my brother. This does not mean that any theological stand is acceptable; however, we ought to give each other grace when confronting differing understandings of scripture. While judging is a tricky thing. We cannot forget the following scripture.

^“24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” John 7:24

               Here, Jesus gives us guidance regarding judging. He does not tell us not to judge, but instead we should use right judgement. In this scripture, we find out that we should not judge by appearances. We often use the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Somehow, we understand that outward appearances can often fool us. We’ve all made the mistake of assuming we know what a person is like based on what they wear, the state of their hygiene, the quantity and subject matter of their tattoos, earrings, or other body piercings. While such things may be indicators, they do not fully reveal the state of a person’s heart. So how are we to make this “right judgment?”

¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16-20

               In this passage, Jesus clarifies how to judge. We should look at the fruit of a person’s life. What kind of fruit does their life bear? In other words, what traits mark their life? What kind of impact do they have on the world around them? Do they positively influence their close associates, their family? Some people leave wreckage wherever they go. We’ve all known men who seem to stumble from one catastrophe to another. If broken relationships, chaos, and turmoil seem to follow them, then they do not bear good fruit, and we should avoid them. This is not an issue of perfection. After all, we all have moments of failure, sometimes extreme failure. But, using the list found in Galatians 5:22-23, we can make a rational evaluation of the tenor of a man’s life.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

What role should judgement play in my daily walk? I’d like to return to the Mark passage.

It is informative to note that here, Jesus directs the apostles to leave the other person alone. The apostles worried because the person casting out demons was not part of their group or fellowship. Jesus did not. He willingly left them alone, saying that soon they would not be able to speak evil of him. He displayed a far more casual attitude towards who was in and who was out than we do. These days, our cultural norm tends toward judgementalism and the increasing division it brings. We seem to worship at the altar of ideological purity. But that is not the hallmark Jesus laid out for us in John.

³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

We’re not known as Jesus disciples for our doctrinal purity, but for our love. Do not take this to mean that doctrinal purity is unimportant. It’s just not how the world will identify us. When we engage in spiritual policing, we skew the world’s understanding of us away from love and into something darker, less Christlike. Indeed, at times we may be guilty of usurping the role of the Holy Spirit. After all, in John 16 Jesus says:

⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; ¹¹ concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:8-11    

In this passage, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit and His work in convicting the world of sin. Often you and I seek to replace the Holy Spirit in the work of convicting, and that’s the point of being judgmental. We want to put ourselves over someone, so we find some fault, real or perceived and take them to task for is. Our embrace of our cultural love of judging should find no home within the body of Christ. Jesus calls you and me to something gentler, more pacific. We’re to love and let the Holy Spirit do the convicting.