Judge not, that ye be not judged

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

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Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.


When we judge people we tend to judge them pessimistically don't we? Our judging leads more to condemnation than compassion. Why do you suppose that is? Why do people like scandals? Why do people inwardly cheer at the misfortune of others? You don't? They don't? On national television- on a very popular show millions of people watch a man once looked at someone who seemed to be genuinely nice and wish well for the competitors they were up against and this man seemed amused and slightly disbelieving of the nice person. Asking with that amused incrediblity if that person really, really were being sincere the man went on to say that it's just not done that way- people don't just wish for the best for others but rather are more cutthroat wanting their competitors to falter and fail so they win.


It's sad isn't it? That a lot of us are taught from a young age to be competitive about life and most aspects of it. As soon as we realize that those who excel at things- sports, academics, appearance, etc- are commended and rewarded we strive towards those things and if we fail through our own faults or no fault of our own, we feel substandard and this feeling creates a long to succeed and if another falters or fails then all the better because that means that maybe, just maybe we might have a chance to succeed or in the least it means they might get a taste of a loser's life by experiencing some of the pain failing brings.


Judge not that ye be not judged. When we stop judging others- searching for the faults, pointing out failures, when we stop exalting ourselves at the expense of others, when we just cease to look at others with a judgemental attitude we have to realize that we will be judged the same. Do we really want to be judged as we are judging?


Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.


When we can claim perfection (which will not happen as long as we are living in this sin-filled world) we can judge others but until then we can't worry about others- judging them. Our plates are filled to the brim with the many beams in our own eyes needing to be cast out.


May God help us to recognize our judgmental moments and help us to turn that judgment on to ourselves realizing that another's failing will never in anyway somehow make us and better and vice versa, another's success does not mean we are failures.


We are all sinners needing the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and that is the bottom line. No matter what kind of life we lead- successful or not in the world's eyes-- we don't stand before the world to be judge we stand before God and by the grace of Jesus Christ may He stand in our place as we cling to Him and trust in His redemption for us.


Amen.