I envision a lost man standing before Jesus Christ at the final judgment, having a strong sense of the fate that awaits. He cries out, ‘Judge not Jesus! You said it yourself! I read it in red!’
I then imagine that Jesus goes on to explain to the man that he has misinterpreted Jesus’ words: ‘Did you not also read that you are to remove the log from your own eye so that you can see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s? I have no log in my eye. My eye is clear, and I see you as you are. I judge accordingly, and my judgment is true and right.’
In my imagination, Jesus continues, ‘Did you not read that I told my disciples not to cast pearls before the swine? Did I not mean that they had to be able to judge a swine when they saw one? Clearly you do not understand my words.’
To which the man replies: ‘Judge not Jesus! You said it yourself! I read it in red, you hypocrite!’
And he goes to hell, continuing to justify himself for eternity, still thinking that Jesus is the judgmental one.
OK, worth sharing AND reblogging!!!
Hey Timothy,
I got the ‘Judge not’ bomb dropped on me the other day by a professing conservative Christian out of nowhere because I made a little comment that I would not call a priest ‘father.’ It then turned into me being super-judgmental as she brought up hell and gave me the old ‘how dare you’ say that people could go to hell because they believe differently than you. She said, ‘do you think I’m going to hell because I believe differently than you.’ To which I responded ‘You will if you are not trusting in Christ alone for your salvation from hell.’
I went on to explain the context of ‘judge not’ and the fact that we are all condemned and in need of free grace. I shared the basic gospel – atonement and justification through faith in Christ, but that offended her more than my refusal to disobey Christ by calling this man ‘father.’
It was an eye-opener – not because she misused the verse – that happens all the time. But because I know she attends a church that believes in hell. They’re actually pretty hardcore and more fundamentalist than I would consider myself. It was a reminder that there are probably folks sitting in the pews at the churches I preach in that think this same way.
So true. That is one of the surprises you will find in your congregations. When you over hear their conversations and they say things that go completely the opposite of what you have preached and taught. The temptation is to correct, but you have to be careful because some get all offended if you do so in front of others, or … at all.
I had a lady ripping into an elder one time and I gently rebuked her for it. She became an instant enemy. Even though it caused a lot of trouble, I’m glad I did so. She needed the rebuke, but some would have just let her vent.
Heath, yes, there are many lost souls in the pews.
Reblogged this on Timothy J. Hammons and commented:
A great explanation of the “judge not” passage that liberals and atheists love to twist out of contexte.