Years ago, a friend was sharing a lesson she learned as she was attempting to get to church one Sunday morning. She planned to drop her trash into the chute as she headed down the hall and out of her building. Just beneath the trash chute lay a pile of broken glass. "Who would just leave this here?" she wondered and headed back to her apartment to grab a dustpan and brush. As she disposed of the glass, she realized she'd cut herself. I'm not certain if she returned again to her apartment to treat the cut, but the thought she had and the words she used to express it made such an impact on me: "That's a lot of blood just to clean up someone else's mess." Wow. Did you get that? Of course, her thoughts turned to the Savior's blood shed for all, the atoning blood of an innocent Man.
This morning, I read Matthew 7:1-6. The passage begins with "Judge not that you be not judged." People who are doing wrong stuff love to throw that one about. You can't judge me! Ya think? Well, it just so happens the Bible doesn't end with that verse. The book of Matthew doesn't even end with that verse. It goes on to say that the way we judge is the standard by which we will be judged. You know, like everybody uses three increments of twelve inches to measure off a yard. Everybody recognizes a pint is two cups. Everyone who judges by the standard of Scripture will be judged that way. Are you good with that? I am SO good with that! But let's just hold that thought for a minute.
Matthew 7:3-5 talk about the hypocrisy of trying to pass judgment on others while thinking we have no issues of our own, as though we "have arrived." None of us is perfect, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't correct anyone. Verse 2 and verse 6 clearly say judgment is "a thing." Verse 2, as I said, talks about the standard used to judge, and verse 6 says not to waste our time trying to correct people who are not truly interested in being corrected or improved. People who are quite content rooting around in their own slop are only going to trample our words of wisdom; they're not going to receive correction no matter how true it is and no matter the spirit in which it is given. Look at you! Are you perfect? they'll fire back. But judgment rendered in love --even by another imperfect person --and based on the standard of God's Holy Word is part of our relationship with other members of the body and even, with the rest of the world. Do you want someone to stand back and watch you destroy your testimony or allow you to preach a false gospel to a room full of people? Are you, day after day, watching your neighbor go to hell while keeping mum so you don't seem "too judgy." That doesn't seem like a loving thing to do. (Bear in mind, these are the things God says to me before I share them with you.)
So, back to all that blood, "a lot of blood just to clean up someone else's mess." This is the standard by which we are to judge and be judged. Every one of us sinners, enemies of God from birth, deserving of moral judgment by a moral God according to moral law. The punishment, of course, is death, separation from a perfect, holy God. But for the blood of Jesus. But for His righteousness imputed to us. The standard has not change, does not change. Sin = Death. The blood of Jesus, however, cleanses all who would claim it, who would come under it, from all sin. It's not a free pass: it's a merciful, unmerited substitution! Jesus fulfills the standard for all who would call Him Lord. And it is the obligation of all God's people to share the knowledge of God's standard with everyone we meet, to correct others in the body of Christ who are erring, and to gather around us God-fearing, standard-loving brothers and sisters who will lovingly and courageously correct us. Why? Because it is our greatest aim to be more like Jesus! Judge me please, because if I'm not on the right path to be like Jesus, I need to be corrected! Judgment according to God's standard is a blessing!
That is a lot of blood just to clean up someone else's mess. But Jesus did it. Shouldn't everyone know?
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Good afternoon Judy I really I'm convinced that no matter what I do people will judge me. But like you said I can't let my neighbor just die and go to hell because I'm too scared to tell them my opinion and it's only my opinion doesn't mean I'm right. But I always think before I tell somebody something I need to get the plank out of my own eye and Jesus said that if I was the person to watch and I let the thief walk past me and Rob the house I'm just as guilty for not stopping him just as I am just as guilty if I don't tell someone about the blood of Jesus and how he died for us and rose from the dead so that we could have eternal life. Thank you so much for your Insight and analogies it was beautiful. Have a wonderful and blessed day.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting. I want to encourage you by saying the judgment of others can be beneficial if it's truth. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). The petty or self-indulgent judgment of others, done out of dishonest motives or not supported by the truth of God's Word should never concern a believer. We serve our Savior alone. Secondly, if you are sharing the Gospel, you aren't just sharing your opinion but sharing truth with someone who will perish without it. As far as removing the plank from one's eye before confronting another person about a splinter in theirs, the first two words of the verse indicate the one being cautioned here is a hypocrite. It has nothing to do with one recovering addict helping another or someone who is still struggling with the sin of gossip lovingly addressing another's false teaching. Be encouraged and seek to please the Lord!
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