Tag: judgment

A Leader’s Example

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin,
    and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 2:21-25 (NIV)

An important responsibility of a good leader is to set an example for others to follow. Some leaders attempt to lead by force and a controlling hand. These leaders have a fearful following who either attempt to adopt an authoritarian approach or they see a decrease in followers who respond negatively to this leadership style. A leader who models the behaviors and the type of work which they expect from their followers tend to experience an increase in the number who follow and a positive outcome in regard to what they are trying to accomplish.

The writer of 1 Peter indicates that we have been called to follow the example of our leader, Christ. Christ is described as “the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.” The example which Christ places before us is that even though he was blameless, he placed his trust not in human judgment but in God’s judgment. Even though Christ suffered he did not threaten or speak evil. While he retained all the power in creation he did not retaliate in any fashion.

The example which we are called upon to follow is one that few humans have successfully followed. Leaders who we admire this day which came close to Christ’s example include Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, among others. They did not retaliate with violence when they faced injustice and oppression. We must strive to follow their examples. By doing so we live as ones whose sins died on a cross which held our leader. We allow our wounds which are inflicted upon is to be healed by the wounds of Christ.

Being Judge

53 Then they all went home, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 7:53-8:11 (NIV)

How easy it can be for a person to judge another person. Whether we know the individual or not really does not matter in many situations. We seem to learn this type of behavior from a very early age. One of the most judgmental and cruel locations in a child’s life is the school playground or lunch room. This behavior is acquired by watching adults in a child’s life. Judging others usually is an attempt to make ourselves feel better about our own lives, a mental game of “I may be bad in (fill in the blank) but at least I do not (fill in the blank) like that one.

Our passage for today is a controversial one. Many ancient copies of John’s Gospel do not include these verses, The debate about the authenticity of the words I will leave for a different discussion. The message is an important one for us no matter how the debate is settled.

Jesus is teaching in the temple courts when Jewish leaders bring an adulterous woman before him. They quote the law concerning adultery and the prescribed punishment of stoning to death anyone who is caught in this sin. The leaders want Jesus’s opinion on what to do with this woman accused of adultery. They are hoping to trap Jesus in his response so they can eliminate him. Jesus attempts to ignore them but since they are unrelenting, he gives them a response. He tells them that the one(s) who have not sinned should cast the first stone(s). Slowly everyone leaves with no stone being thrown. Jesus tells the woman that since no one else has condemned her, he would not condemn her. Then he dismisses her and instructs her to leave sinful behavior.

What a message regarding judgment. We stand ready to cast stones at others, maybe not in a physical sense but instead verbally or by our behaviors toward others. Often we do so without any knowledge or understanding of the individual’s life. Their ability to control whatever we are judging does not matter to us. All that we care about is our dislike or disapproval of whatever we are judging. Yet Jesus’s words echo in our ears, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” We, like the Jewish leaders, must walk away without comment or action. None of us can live up to the requirement which Jesus places before us.

The good news for every one of us is contained in the words Jesus tells the woman, “Then neither do I condemn you.” Jesus could/can fulfill the requirement he placed before the leaders and us. However, he chooses not to exercise his right. The Lord does not condemn us but offers forgiveness because of love instead. The challenge to respond to such grace is for us to leave our sinful behaviors.

A Foggy Perspective

For the first three mornings this week, our city has been enveloped in fog. My understanding is that this is pretty common during the winter months in Texas. The warm, humid air from the gulf comes up north and encounters the cooler air from the north which causes the fog to develop. Yesterday, as I was looking at the fog blanket outside our windows, I was drawn to the passage from 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

As I was pondering this verse, I began thinking about the perspective through which we view life, one another, and our Lord. Much like the fog of recent mornings, our perspective is not clear. We are not capable of knowing all but instead only a part of each item mentioned above. The promise is that there will be a time when I will see each in fullness but for now I have a fog over my sight which prevents me from seeing the whole.

My vision of my life is limited to the current and to the past. I can anticipate the future, just as I anticipate turns and intersections when driving a familiar path on a foggy morning. However, the certainty of my knowledge regarding my future is limited. Like the warnings on the morning news to take it slow and to give one’s self plenty of time to navigate through the fog, I must do the same as I move forward into my future.

The view which I have of others is also limited. I only see what that person allows me to see. I do not know their backstory unless they tell me it. The burdens carried by the person are only visible to me if they choose to share them with me. Caution is again vital when determining how I look at someone else. This reminds me that my judgment of them is impaired so be careful how I judge them.

As I look to the Lord, I also must acknowledge my vision is limited. I cannot comprehend the fullness of the Lord at this time. I see what has been revealed to me, and others, through Scripture, the account of Jesus’ life, and my ongoing relationship with the Lord. Anticipating the actions which the Lord will take, the way in which the Lord views the world and humanity, the abilities and power of the Lord is almost impossible based on what I know. I can only see the broadness of the Lord such as the complete focus on love, the endless times of forgiveness, and unconditional acceptance which is demonstrated and testified to over and over in the lives of myself and countless others.

Yet the promise mentioned in the verse from 1 Corinthians remains for all three of these. There will be a day when I will see my life in its fullness and my future will be fully understandable. My view of others will be complete when I am able to see the whole of the person and their life. The perspective which I have of the Lord will be whole as I stand in the full presence one day. But for now, I walk in the fog of my limits and I must be mindful to proceed with caution and take my time.