Judge not?

God has not appointed me or you to pass judgement on others.

That is His job, not ours. Judgement is never our responsibility. We never have the final word on anyone. We are supposed to be discerning but not judgemental. We have to protect and guard our hearts from ungodly influences, but that is different than being judgemental.

One time, a friend of mine, Bart, and I were in his car driving back to his office after having lunch together and we noticed a man on the side of the road holding a cardboard sign with the words "HUNGRY, anything helps" written on it in big black letters. We discussed how so many of the people you see on the side of the road in similar settings are often being dishonest and are actually scamming hard working, caring, compassionate people. I always seem to have mixed feelings when I am confronted with someone who looks like they would be a good candidate for some assistance, but I wonder why don't they just go to one of the many shelters in town to seek help? It seems to me that most of the people who legitimately need help are often hesitant to ask for it.

I told Bart that I don't mind helping (giving money or food) those who really need it, but I just have a hard time believing that they are legitimately needy of my "help". I know that I am eventually going to stand before God and together He and I are going to review my life and the choices I made during it. When we get to the scene(s) where I ignore the seemingly able bodied beggar(s), I wonder if Jesus will turn to me and say, "Why didn't you help me?" Jesus said when we do things for the "least of these" we do it for Him, right? So within myself I have been asking the question, "Who exactly, are the least of these?"

Jesus said in Matthew 25:42-45
"For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me."

I have always considered the "least of these" to be those who were the victims of others. Those who didn't get a fair shake in life. Then I remembered in the bible where Jesus is talking about the "the least". He wanted to know why we let Him go hungry and thirsty. I had no problem seeing the hungry and thirsty as people who are probably just good people who are down on their luck. But wait a minute. Didn't he also say why didn't you visit me while I was in prison? Most people in prison received their sentence the old fashioned way, they earned it, right? They aren't "victims" who got a bad deal now are they? They are there as a result of their choices. Isn't it the bad people who go to prison? I have always kind of thought that the "least of these" were good people in bad situations. But Jesus didn't qualify them that way. He put good and bad people in the same category. It seems that the "least of these" are those who are not living the abundant life Jesus came to give us. Jesus desires that we experience and enjoy His love, peace and joy. The "least of these" are people who haven't trusted God fully and yielded completely to His will and can be found in every segment of society, even in church. It goes beyond race, religion and social status.

I believe He is saying to us that there are three kinds of people on this planet; those who are whole, those who are healing and those who are broken. He wants those who are whole, and those who are healing to help those who are broken to find the healer. Then the broken, will begin to heal as we assist them on their journey towards wholeness. Then they will themselves one day be able to help someone else who is broken take the first steps towards wholeness.

What you see in someone today may not be what you will see down the road. Are you the person today that you were 5 years ago? What if someone made a label and placed in on you that said, "This person is selfish, dysfunctional and broken" and you were obligated to wear it for the rest of your life. That wouldn't be fair now would it? Even if it is true today you may not always be that way. Would you want to have to carry that label around forever? When we judge someone we assign them a destiny in our minds and then we dismiss them. We say to ourselves that this is all they will ever be. Have you ever known an alcoholic that kicked the habit or a drug addict who overcame their addiction? What right do we have to make a judgement about who people are based on their current circumstances and behaviour and then assume that is who they are always going to be. What labels have people placed on you in the past that you are still carrying around today?

God has from now until the time they leave this planet to get through to them...and us! He is the only real judge and the only one qualified to make a final judgement on who we are and what we are going to be.

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. 3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye."
Matthew 7:1-5 NLT

When we judge others we are playing God. That is dangerous. When we feel we are qualified to pass judgement on others we are, in fact, being prideful. Pride always reverses spiritual progress. Pride will destroy, that is what it does.

"Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall."
Proverbs 16:18

We must remember that we all have weaknesses and need a saviour on a daily basis. To be truly effective in helping others we must allow God to show us our weakness of character and expose our sin to us so that we can begin to heal and seek to become whole. Then we will be in a place to truly help the broken and the healing because we will have the right heart and true Godly motives. Never forget as you heal that God is the healer and that you cannot ever take any credit for the progress you make on your journey to wholeness. You have made it this far by God's goodness.