A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (March 19, 2018)
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)
I have always been taught and understood that the “Judge not” scriptures in Matthew 7 mean that if we judge someone we would later be judged by someone else for our own actions with the same measure or degree that we judged. I still think it means that, but I now think it means much, much more. As I witness what is going on in the world today, and look back on my own personal experiences, I see what I call a “boomerang effect” on those that choose to judge another person. I see it in our political world, our cultural world, and even in the church world.
If you step back from the fray and noise of all the “judging” going on in our news media lately you will see that a lot of the judges are now being judged for the same thing they were judging others on. In my own personal experience as a federal investigator I have witnessed discrimination on the part of one race that was in power at the time. Years later, I saw the same type of race discrimination from the opposite race. It is like a boomerang effect. In my opinion, it all goes back to that Matthew 7 “Judge not” scripture. What was Jesus trying to tell us? Listen to the following statement made by Jesus:
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. (Luke 11:35)
Could it be that the very thing that we judge people on could come on us? For example, could a person’s fight against racial hatred and bigotry (which is a noble and righteous fight) turn on those very fighters and cause them to be race haters and bigots. The answer is yes it could, and it has in many instances. However, it does not have to happen like that if we are careful to judge the sin and not the sinner.
The trap we fall into is when we paint or judge everybody of a certain race with the same broad brush and that makes us guilty of the same thing when it comes to race discrimination. When it comes to other things, like politics and law enforcement, we need to all hold our peace until all the darkness is revealed, because it will be. We live in a technological world of texts and tweets where anything you do in darkness will come to light, regardless of who you are. The very ones that are judging the hardest are usually the ones that will be judged. They are the ones that believe their cause is so just that they are justified in whatever actions are necessary (legal or illegal) to prove their case. Don’t fall into that trap. It is a snare from the enemy and it will boomerang on you. You will be judged for the very thing you are judging.
This judging deal is a lot more critical than we have ever imagined!
The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. (Psalm 9:15-16)
Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. (Luke 12:3)