What Does Judge Not Really Mean?

 

My daughter works for one of the largest cancer clinics in the eastern part of the United States.  She called me yesterday very upset about something that happened in her office.  A man had been diagnosed with cancer and was crying.  

One of the women behind the desk asked what was wrong.  The man told her that his boyfriend had left him because he didn't want to be saddled with a dying man.  That woman, a professing Christian, proceeded to tell him that he was going to Hell and began to berate him.

When my daughter told me this, it was so shocking that I didn't think it could be true.  I thought she was repeating gossip.  I actually said, "No way!  I don't believe that.  Did anyone actually hear her say that?"

My daughter said, "Oh Mom, it gets worse.  She sent an email to the entire office, including the doctors, about it."

This story broke my heart.  I was torn between being so angry at that woman that I could spit and crying like a baby for the man.  This man had just received the worst news he has ever or will ever receive.  Then his loved one, whether you agree with the love or not, left him to face death alone.  Do you really think that Jesus was sitting up in Heaven saying, "Oh boy! Look at him suffer.  He deserves it!"

Are you kidding?!  Jesus looked through eternity and saw that man.  He saw his sin and all the ugly parts, just like he saw yours.  Do you know what He did say?

He said, "I love him so much.  I want to spend the rest of eternity with him.  I'll go to the cross so that he can have that choice and be with me, if he wants to."

The Bible is clear.  God hates homosexuality.  He calls it an abomination.  But guess what else God calls an abomination: 

• graven images or idols (Deuteronomy 7:25, 27:15), 
• someone who justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous (Proverbs 17:15), 
• lying lips (Proverbs 12:22), 
• astrologers, mediums and witches (Deuteronomy 18:11-12), 
• an unbalanced or cheating scale (Proverbs 11:1, 20:10), 
• the thoughts of the wicked (Proverbs 15:26) to name a few.  

And here is the clincher:

Proverbs 16:5

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

If this woman felt led by the Lord to say anything to this man it should have been something like.  "I am so sorry.  Jesus loves you.  Can I pray for you?"

I told my daughter that she should write 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 on a piece of paper and pass it to her.  It says:

When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.  But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols (notice he uses most of the sins called abominations in the Old Testament).  You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.  I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people.  Don't even eat with such people.

Do you see that?  Paul is making a difference between believers and unbelievers. 

How about this one:

You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame.  And you should remove this man from your fellowship.  Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in Spirit.  And as thought I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man. 1 Corinthians 5:2-3 

Believers are supposed to judge matters within the Church, not the world, not yet anyway.

It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.  God will judge those on the outside... 1 Corinthians 5:12-13a

So what are we to make of the words of Jesus when he said,

"Judge not, that ye be not judged," (Matthew 7:1)?  

Before we make anything of His statement, we should read the rest of that passage.  Jesus goes on to say:

For you will be treated as you treat others.  The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be 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 to your friend, "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 in your own eye, then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. Matthew 1:2-5 

That 'judge not' statement is a warning.  God tells us in Micah 6:8 what is His requirement for His people.  

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

That is what God wants from us.  We are to act justly. We are to love mercy, or kindness as some translations put it, and walk humbly.  That's it.  If we as Christians gauge the words that come out of our mouths by this measure, we will be okay. 

Did the woman from before show God's mercy to the dying homosexual?  Was she being humble knowing that only God, not her, sees the heart?  Did she point the man to God's justice which was satisfied when Jesus gave His life at the cross?  I think not.

We can spend the rest of our lives trying to remove the 'log' from our own eyes.  I think that is where we should be putting our efforts unless we see sin in the Church.  Of course we are to deal with that.

God is so merciful to us.  The Bible says that He remembers that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14)

The faithful love of the Lord never ends.  His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness, His mercies begin afresh each morning.  Lamentations 3:22-23

Let is never forget that every and all sin separates us from God.  All of us need a savior, every last one of us.  None of us are better than the other, from the preacher to the homosexual. Everyone will have to bow at the cross or be lost.  

God help us see each other with the loving eyes of Christ.