We enjoy judging others. There is a spiritual pride in deciding that someone else is not measuring up to rules we find in Scripture or in our churches. And yet there is a great amount that Christ says about, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?,” (Matthew 7:1-3) and “But when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her..” (John 8:7).
Why are these sayings ignored? Why does the Cross, the symbol of God’s Mercy get used to crush people? The answer is the Mob. We want to crucify those who do not measure up to hide our own frailty and that we arn’t measuring up. It’s easy to cry, “let me take the speck out of your own eye, when I have log in my owm.”
We are so keen to give advice and help others deal with their stuff, but when it comes to our own selves, we bulk at a rebuke or attempt to get log out of our own eye.
While I do not agree with Monastics on everything, Thomas A Kempis was right that we must not be obsessed with sins in others lives, but tend to our own. This is a problem, we turn churches into these “we are going to help you get better,” hospitals, when people running them and helping are a sick as the sick they are tending to. This hypocrisy has consequences, the result is that we become conceited, we think that we have the balm to help others get better, when we needed it as much as they. The Healers need healing, just as doctors have their own doctors, and often what they recommend to you they themselves need to do, I remember my primary care doctor told me he needed to do same thing he was advising me, and its like why can’t we be like that in Church? Say to people, this is what needs to be dealt with, but I too am not measuring up, like Paul who admitted, “This is a faithful andtrustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance and approval, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost,” (1 Timothy 1:15), and “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus..” (Philippians 3:12-14). Can we get more honest as Church that we need the cross and Jesus’ forgiveness and help as much as the unsaved! That we are not sitting with laurels on gold thrones casting judgement, bur rather we are saying, “I too am a mess, and I turn to the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Lord.”
I think seeking to help a brother carry their load is Scriptural, “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2), but we must not become conceited, and think we are somehow superior. Many of us who think we are great now will be last, “But many [who are now] first will be last [then], and many [who are now] last will be first [then]..” (Mark 10:31). We must remain compassionate, loving, and caring towards people, not controlling and crushing! Amen.
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