The Dangers of Judging Others

UV 1066/10,000 The Dangers of Judging Others

Judge not, that ye be not judged
Matthew 7 v 1

We do not know the whole story or totality of circumstances of another person. Hence, we ought not to judge others. Only the Lord knows our whole story, our pain, our motives, our thoughts, our past, our challenges, our hopes and our future. Only He is qualified to judge us. Only He can judge us in a fair manner. Only the Lord is perfect, holy, righteous and blameless. Only He has the right to judge us. When we judge others, we tend to diminish our own deep faults and gross mistakes to make it look as small as a speck but magnify even the errors of others to look as if they are very serious and irreparable. If there is one thing the Lord hates it is hypocrisy and He hates it when we put on a show of goodness, hiding our true intent and character. He hates it when we slander others even in our thoughts or words. He expects us to extend similar grace and forgiveness to others. If we fail to do so, we forfeit His mercy, forgiveness and grace. He will be like the ruler who mercilessly threw a debtor into prison who showed no mercy to a servant who owed him a much smaller debt. The Lord asks us to daily look at ourselves honestly against the standard of His Word as a man looks into a mirror, clearly see the blemishes and flaws and take steps to avoid, reduce or overcome these apart from genuinely repenting of it.

When Joseph’s eleven brothers pleaded for his forgiveness since they feared he would take revenge for the way they treated him by conspiring against him, trying to kill him, throwing him in a pit and finally selling him off as a slave, Joseph said, “ You planned it for evil but God turned it to good.” He trusted God and his sense of security and trust in God was so strong, he felt no need to take revenge. Then he said, “ Am I in the place of God to judge you?” He was acknowledging that only God has the right and prerogative to judge men for their deeds and misdeeds.

Jesus looked with compassion on the people of Jerusalem who bayed for his blood and his life. He told Pilate that only God gave him and rulers like him the authority to judge people. He did not even condemn Judas, his betrayer. He forgave Peter for denying he even knew him. He asked the Father in heaven to forgive those who nailed him so cruelly to the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” The Father will forgive us but the trouble is that we act as if we know exactly what we are doing. Jesus is the returning judge. He says to us, “ Do not judge others. I am at the door.” The Lord asks us to trust his sense of justice. He asks us not to trust people as people can be fickle as they were with him, one Sabbath hailing him King and the next, asking for his crucifixion without a thought about how unjust and cruel was their demand. He asks us not to trust princes or rulers as they can be partial, corrupt, unjust, moody or mean. When we entrust matters to the Lord, He will give us wise counsel. He will vindicate us.

Prateep V Philip