Seeing Beyond the Act/Tuesday, September 1, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Matthew 7:1-2
Judging others based solely on their outward actions often leads to misconstrued facts.
John Wesley, the famed English preacher, disliked a man that he felt was very miserly and covetous. At a fundraiser Wesley was holding, this man came forward and brought only a small offering. Greatly upset, Wesley publicly humiliated the man in front of everyone in attendance. Later, the man approached Wesley privately to explain his small gift. He relayed how before he was saved he had run up much debt and owed money to many people. He told of how he had been living on parsnips and water for weeks so he could pay off his creditors. "I know I cannot do much in the way of offerings because of my past indiscretion, but my hope is that through my new way of living, those who knew me before will be impacted and come to seek Christ as well." Wesley was thoroughly convicted and apologized to the man.
Have you ever been caught in a situation like John Wesley? Perhaps you degraded or even chided someone based on their outward actions, only to later find out their inward motivation or reasoning. Sadly, we have a tendency to judge people based on what we see, but as shown in our verses today, we don't know the heart of those around us.
F.B. Meyer once said that when we see others in sin there are three things we don't know, "First, we do not know how hard he or she tried not to sin. And second, we do not know the power of the forces that assailed him or her. We also do not know what we would have done in the same circumstances." Judging others based solely on their outward actions often leads to misconstrued facts.
Whether it's based on someone's appearance, actions, words, or conduct, we all have a tendency to judge others. Christ commanded those around him to be careful of judging someone, or making assumptions about someone's character based solely on their outward actions or appearances. The word judge in verse 1 isn't referring to discerning the doctrine or beliefs of another, judging as a judge in a courtroom judges, or judging ideals of others. In this context, Christ refers to judging those parts of man that only God can know-the heart and motivation of others. What Christ is condemning is the hasty judging of someone without knowing all the facts or the motivation behind the action.
It is unwise to make hasty assumptions without knowing all the facts. Perhaps in your family, you have hastily brought accusations or punishment on your children without seeking all the facts. Maybe you've accused someone of something at work without knowing all the facts or reasoning behind the action. Rather than being quick to point the finger of blame or cast guilt, take time to find out the facts and personally talk to the person responsible. You might find out something you would have otherwise not known.
Christ's warning of not judging others was crucial in the day of hypocritical Pharisees, but His command still holds for us today. Do you find yourself often reacting hastily to cast blame? Remember the Lord's command not to judge too quickly, and take time to gather the facts and seek out the motive behind the actions.
