THE MERCY OF JESUS
Kimberly Lawrence
Today's Scripture: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2, ESV
Theme: When you must confront evil, do it gently as possible, because you will be tried with the same measure of mercy or harshness.
INAPPROPRIATE
When my son was in pre-school, the teacher did a project where they asked each child to fill in the blank, “I love my dad because ________.” Then they decorated and framed the answer to send it home for Father’s Day. You can imagine my reaction when I picked my son up and his sweet gift read, “I love my dad because he lets me watch inappropriate movies.” I was red-faced and sputtering as I tried to explain to this young teacher that, despite what she might be thinking, we were not the worst parents on the planet!
This was back in the day of DVDs. Each Friday, the students were allowed to bring in a movie so the class could choose which to watch. They were very specific about the content and that all movies MUST BE rated “G.” My son was into superhero movies at the time and always tried to choose one of those to offer up on movie Friday. My husband would say, “No, that’s inappropriate for school.” All my son knew was that he was allowed to watch those movies at home, but they were “inappropriate” for school. I remember thinking, “What in the world must these teachers think is going on in my house?” It may have been tough to withhold judgement of our parenting skills based on that isolated incident.
IT’S NOT “MY” WILL BE DONE
We all do it. I do it. You do it. Not only do we judge, but we apply our own standard of measurement. He’s a lousy tipper; she’s a terrible driver; he cheats at golf; she’d be late for her own funeral. He’s lazy; she drinks too much; and of course, they let their kids watch inappropriate movies.
One of the most notable stories of judgement (and how Jesus felt about it) is told in John 8, when the teachers and Pharisees brought a young woman caught in adultery to the temple courts. Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7, NIV). Each left, one by one, until the only capable Judge remained, but He was without condemnation. Jesus didn’t force the woman to confess the torrid details of her sin to her accusers. He didn’t require restitution for her transgressions. He didn’t wait around to be sure she was sufficiently punished in another way. He asked, “Has no one condemned you?” When she replied they had not, He declared, “then neither do I condemn you, go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:10-11, NIV). Jesus, the epitome of perfection, did not condemn!
JUDGE AND JURY
It’s tempting to climb up on a lofty tower and throw stones, isn’t it? Like me, do you succumb to selective superiority when you feel like you’ve gotten it right in one area of your life? We like to be the judge and jury about other people’s shortcomings, but we don’t want to talk about our own faults. It’s certainly convenient to measure ourselves against our own standards rather than God’s—but be careful. The Bible tells us that haughty eyes and a proud heart will not be tolerated (Psalm 101:5) and pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV). ALL. Not some. That’s me AND you! We don’t get to sit in the judgement seat and assign our own degree of sin. We are called to forgive, just as we have been freely forgiven. If a brother or sister is struggling with a sinful nature, it’s our place as Christians to guide, not harshly judge. A caring and encouraging counselor will be heard much sooner than a finger-wagging judge.
Make It Personal: Everyone struggles with sin. Yours may be different than mine, but they’re no better or worse. Be very careful with the words “I would never” because haughtiness might just be seeping in on you. If you have a friend struggling with a sin habit, consider today how you may encourage, rather than shame them, while also keeping in mind the unconditional forgiveness you yourself have received. Don’t play God. You don’t get to withhold something you’ve freely received.
Pray: God, please intervene in my life and reveal my own areas of sin. I ask for Your strength where I am weak. Forgive my attitude of arrogance and superiority. Let the reminder of my sin not be for guilt but to remember Your sacrifice for me. Give me the resolve to remove myself from the people, places, and things of temptation that draw me away from You. Through patience and sound Biblical counsel, give me the words to gently confront and overcome evil. Amen
Read: 1 Corinthians 8:9-13, James 3:13-18, Ephesians 4:14-16
Weekly Memory Verse: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2, ESV