I seem to be a bit stuck on the topic of judging others and forgiveness. It seems we have all become judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to how we treat each other. The gospel of John brings a story to mind. The story of how the Pharisees, in an attempt to discredit Jesus, brought a woman accused of adultery in front of him. It also brings the fable of Abraham and the fire worshiper back to mind and some episodes of Law and Order. We all have an internal mini courtroom in our minds when we encounter each other, but I say lets have this play out a little differently in which YOU are the accused. I pose this question to you... If Satan wanted to build a case against you, what would the jury hear?
You need to ask yourself some serious questions when you find yourself judging someone with a criminal past, or a past you deem unrighteous. First ask yourself are you without sin? Ask questions and listen to the other person's story, then ask yourself what you would have done in the same situation. Then look into your soul's mirror and take a good, long, dark look at yourself. If you look deeply into that mirror, what would you see? Look at your own sins, your own thoughts about committing sins, your own ugly ulterior motives and see the entire you. Look at the time the infraction happened and what that person has done since. Do not just look at that person's sin. Look at the whole person, their good deeds as well as bad. Look at their interactions with others and see how they truly are. Have they changed? Are they repentant?
Now back to our little mental courtroom. Remember we are not the judge or the jury and we all have the same defense attorney (Jesus Christ). Never has Jesus excused our sins but he has paid the penalty for them. Jesus pointed out that NONE of us are without sin and challenges us to do better. Many people misunderstand this story and think that sin is not a big deal to Jesus. Jesus did not put aside morality, righteousness, or ethics. Jesus set aside PUNISHMENT in the interest of grace. But, if you take an even deeper look you will see he did not put the punishment aside...he suffered the punishment for all of us.
He is faithful, he is merciful, he is love, and his desire is for all of us to be saved. Jesus led by example on how we are to treat each other. Jesus did not shame, condemn, beat up, or slander. Jesus forgave and led to repentance, change, and restoration. I have a grounded belief in a God who does not judge and condemn people, but instead, calls upon us to resist hard hearted judgmental attitudes. He challenges us to have an open heart, to seek forgiveness, and to offer it to others. When we are at our best these are the principles that represent the best of our thinking. We all know that acceptance and encouragement are paramount in lifting each other up and creating a community where we all can grow in wisdom and love.
