Judge others . . . well, don't!

Good Day.

“Don't speak evil against one another, my brothers and sisters. If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God's law. But you are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it. God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to condemn your neighbor?”   James 4.11-12

Allow me to follow James’ words with those of our Lord—“Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.”  Jesus, Matthew 7.

'God's law' that James refers to is that of Leviticus 19.18 – “Love your neighbor as yourself ” -  This is the same law that Jesus repeated as being second in importance to "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. . ."  When we pass judgment, criticize and condemn others, we set ourselves up as judge of this law that God has given us; and of course, we will also be judged by the same law . . . by the same measuring stick.

‘Notice who James is addressing in this passage--brothers and sisters, fellow Christians, who are talking against one another . . .    The litmus test:  would you say it in front of them?  Consider with me the great refrigerator-magnet verse:  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4.29  A new standard: does it benefit, build up? If not, then you may want to 'keep still.'  Judging another person, condemning them … well, it certainly does not build him up.

Indeed, it is not our job or our right to judge another--with our words or with superior thinking.  This reminded me of a Saturday-morning cartoon I used to watch as a child.  Wile E. Coyote was always setting up bombs to knock out the roadrunner; unfortunately, they always exploded on him!  I think our loose tongues can do the same thing to us--not thinking, or maybe even intentional thinking, when we criticize or judge another human being always has the potential of blowing up around us.

Instead, let’s love others . . . let's love well—oh, not just in theory or in word; but let’s give others the benefit of the doubt--what do you say?

Let’s leave judgment to the only righteous Judge.  Live and let others live … yeah, live and let live.

Christine