The king will mourn and the prince will be clothed with shuddering; the hands of the people of the land will tremble. Based on their behavior I will deal with them, and by their standard of justice I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD!”
Ezekiel 7:27 NET
The person begging on the street corner. Do I assume they are lazy? Or that it’s their own fault that they are in that condition? Do I avoid looking at them, pretending they aren’t even there?
That person who is loud, opinionated, and always ready to fight. Do I avoid them? Or fight with them? Or just shake my head whenever they erupt?
The person who is severely overweight. The one who speaks with a heavy accent. That couple who are “living in sin.” Or the folks on the other side of the political scale. What thoughts go through my head when I see or hear about them?
The person who has hurt me or said something unkind about me. Do I respond in kind? Am I critical of them?
The Christian who is from a different denomination or has different beliefs than mine. Do I question their salvation? Or assume they are not as mature and faithful to the Scripture as I am?
It is so easy to judge people. To see them as somehow less than ourselves and look down on them. But what if God were to judge me based on the same standard I use to judge other people? How would I fare?
In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus first warns us not to judge others. And then tells us that we will be judged according to the same standards we use to judge others.
This is not a matter of my salvation. But it is something I will have to give an account for (Rom. 14:12, Heb. 4:13). So it’s worth taking stock. Do I judge with love, grace, and mercy? Or with a proud and unforgiving spirit?
