Judging Others: A Parable

Today, God taught me a lesson while I was driving.

I have some road rage.  I keep it "under control" most of the time (I used quotation marks because I know how much more angry I could be, although to others it may not look like my anger is in check).  Today, Luca and I were on our way to Target, where I inevitably spent more than I intended to spend, because Target is awesome.  

On the way home, it was getting dark.  Not totally, but dark enough where every car had its lights on.  Except one.  As I was trying to get over into the right lane so I could get off of I-440, I realized there was a car behind me with no lights on.  I believe my exact words were, "What kind of idiot wouldn't have their lights on right now!?  It's almost dark out!"  

Fast forward about 5 minutes.  I'm driving down Capital, getting closer to home, when I look down and realize... I don't have my lights on.  Oops.

First, I thanked God for keeping us safe, since that was a dumb thing to do (as mentioned earlier in my assessment of the other car).  Next, I immediately thought of what a hypocrite I had just been, and remembered Jesus saying, "How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is a log in your own eye?"  Which got me thinking about a picture my husband posted last week on Facebook:

The part most people focus in on...

The rest of it.  All good, all true, and so much to absorb from the entire section.

During my car headlight scenario, I judged the other driver.  Jesus says, "Judge not."  I was wrong to judge the other driver.  But why was I wrong?  Was I wrong in this scenario because I should always accept what other drivers do, no matter how dangerous?  If we are going to genuinely try to understand the Bible, we need to be deep thinkers about the things Jesus says, and not choose to quote parts that feel acceptable and ignore parts that we don't like or that are confusing to us.

Matthew 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of 

your own eye, and then you will see clearly to 

take the speck out of your brother's eye."  

We are hypocrites when we judge others actions while we are unwilling to take a good long look at ourselves, specifically if we are dealing with an issue or sin like the one we are judging someone else for.  However, it is so important to note that Jesus is telling us to help our brothers!  He doesn't say, "take the log out of your eye, and continue to ignore the speck in your brother's eye."  We are to help our brothers when they sin (as we should also want help when we sin).  Bringing something to their attention (humbly and with much prayer) is often what goes by the wayside, for fear we will be labeled judgmental.  

So, why was I wrong to judge the other driver's actions?   It wasn't because he was right and fine and good, and how dare anyone tell him otherwise.  It was because I was arrogant.  I was assuming I wasn't doing the exact same thing as him, and I was angry at him.  The "car" equivalent of this scenario could read, "How can you say to the other driver, 'Turn on your headlights,' when you don't notice that your own headlights are off.  You hypocrite, first turn on your own headlights, and you can see clearly to tell the other driver to turn on his headlights."  

Jesus is saying it is a good thing to help others see a sin.  The "judge not" is referring to the way in which we go about telling someone what they are doing is wrong, especially if we are sinning in the same way without turning from it.  John: 7:24 says, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."  It's all about the reason for and the way in which we are approaching someone else's sin.

One of my favorite stories about Jesus is when he rescues a woman about to be put to death:

"The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.  So what do you say?'  This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.  Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  And as they continues to ask him he stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.  And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.  But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.  Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?'  She said, 'No one, Lord.'  And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'"  

Jesus did not condemn her.  Yet, he told her to sin no more from now on.  This shows that what she was doing was, in fact, sinful.  He didn't say, "It's not a big deal, lots of other people do stuff like that, so don't worry about it."  It was sin, and he called it that, while also reminding the Pharisees that they too have sin, possibly even the same sin she was in (I have no idea of course if that was the case, but it's entirely possible).  But oh how much love He showed her, both in rescuing her and in showing her she did not have to live that way any longer!

Our generation has completely abandoned the idea of moral absolutes, since so many these days do not know or believe Scripture.  Many Christians follow suit with one another out of the fear of being called closed minded and judgmental.  We say, "That's wrong, but it's only wrong for me.  I can't say if it's wrong or right for them."  That sounds "beautiful", doesn't it?  So accepting.  How tempting it is to just accept sinful behavior instead of carefully examining ourselves and other believers against Scripture.  Jesus is urging us to check ourselves for sin, repent, AND help a brother (or sister) who is in sin.  

I'm thankful for this reminder today, and that God teaches me lessons in real time while doing something as mundane as driving to the store.  He is good.