Friday Night Message: To Judge, or not to judge - Part IV

Mar. 24, 2023

Good evening brethren, 

Is judgment something that we are to have and to grow in, or is it something that we are to avoid altogether and eliminate from our lives?  Or could it be both, depending upon the multiple meanings and nuances of this word “judgment”.

This series of messages is named “To Judge, Or Not To Judge?”

Let me start by saying that this is not a simple subject.  For the purpose of this series, I would like to give two very broad categories or types of judgment – condemnation, and discernment: 

• Under the general heading of condemnation go such meanings as harsh criticism, sentencing, passing judgment, censure, and the like. 

•  Under the general heading of discernment go such things as distinguishing right from wrong, having understanding or good sense, the ability to compare and decide.

 Let’s first look at condemnation.  In this kind of judgment, the emphasis and focus is on the person (not an incident), on the inner heart and motives (not just the outward actions or behavior), and on their destiny or ultimate fate (not just present consequences).

 So then last Friday Night we asked: “Why is it wrong for us to judge others in this way?”  Why should it be avoided?  Well, first of all …

1. It’s not our job.

Furthermore…

2. We would not do a good job of it.

Last week we pointed out two reasons why we would not do a very good job of it, and this evening we introduce a third reason why we would not do a very good job of it:

2-A. Judging according to the flesh

2-B. Judging before the time.

2-C. Judging from afar

Another major reason that we can’t properly judge others is that we aren’t in the same situation …circumstances may be different, we have varying strengths and weaknesses, we don’t all come from the same background, etc.

From a well-known Indian prayer – “Oh Great Spirit in the sky, help me to never judge another until I have walked for two months in his moccasins.”

And then there is the pop song – “Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes.  Yeah before you accuse, criticize and abuse, walk a mile in my shoes.”

From the world of sports comes this example:  A big-league umpire remarked that he could never understand how crowds in the grandstands, hundreds of feet away from home plate, could see better and judge more accurately than he could, when he was only a few feet away.  In the game of life, we try to call balls and strikes on a person when we are too far away to really understand.  Perhaps if we had a closer view of the person and his/her problems, we would reconsider our opinions and reactions.

In the fullness of time God will judge all things.  We don’t have the knowledge or the wisdom or the experience or the patience that God does, so only He can do a perfect job of it.

Have an inspiring Sabbath,

Fred