Thoughts from the Well
WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?
Did Jesus forbid us from judging others?
By Lewis B. Smedes
(From
Christianity Today)
In three words, blunt and absolute,
Jesus commanded us, "Do not judge" (Matt. 7:1). But did he really mean that we
should never judge others? He goes on to suggest that it's not the act of judging but the
attitude with which we do it that God is most concerned about -- "For in the same way
you judge others, you will be judged" (Matt 7:2).
There are other Scriptures that either cloud or shed light on the issue. Paul told the
Christians in Rome not to judge one another (Rom 14:13) but taught the Corinthians that
they were to judge sinful believers and leave people outside the church to God (1 Cor
5:12-13). James said he who judges his brother speaks against the law (James 4:11) but also
implied that our judgments of others must be done with mercy (James 2:12-13).
Common sense suggests that if no one ever judged other people, there would be no real
human community. In a sinful world, no community can exist for long where nobody is ever
held accountable: no teacher would grade a student's performance; no citizen would sit on
a jury or call a failed leader to account. And, when you come to think of it, nobody would
ever forgive anyone for wrongs he had done; we only forgive people for what we blame them,
and we blame them only after we have judged them.
I would suggest that, in our day and age, we need more -- not less -- judgment. Modern
Americans suffer from a fear of judging. Passing judgment on the behavior of fellow human
beings is considered an act of medieval, undemocratic intolerance.
Why? Read the rest of this article:
http://ChristianityToday.com/ct/2001/012/29.70.html
Christianity Today has a number of current
articles on faith and contemporary issues facing the church.
