"And I Love You, Random Citizen!" - Judgment in the Heart of Christ
"Megamind" is one of the greatest animated movies of the 21st Century. It nails everything that a good story should: on top of lovable characters, a quirky hero-villain dynamic, and a fresh take on the "hero getting the girl", it flips the entire superhero narrative on its head, exploring the villain's need for a hero and showing what would happen if the villain realized his true potential as a vessel for good. Along with the semantics and an all-star cast, the dialogue is highly memorable and, as a result, extremely quotable.
The other day, my brain landed on a particular quote from a crucial scene, where a disguised Megamind finds himself on a date. Across the table from him is his long-time crush, Roxanne, who is unaware that she is chatting up the dastardly evildoer of Metro City. As Megamind, under the guise of Bernard (the librarian), asks her if she would still enjoy his company regardless of how he looked, Roxanne answers with something simple, yet quite profound:
Roxanne: "Of course! You don't judge a book by its cover or a person by the outside."
Megamind: "Oh! That's a relief to hear."
Roxanne: "You judge them by their actions."
Megamind: "...Well, that seems kinda petty, don't you think?"
That quote got me thinking about the subject of judgment. Megamind isn't wrong; judgment, both based on actions and as a whole, CAN come across as petty, especially in the culture that my generation has experienced growing up.
We have been indoctrinated with the philosophy of "Do What Thou Wilt", and both secular and religious bodies have adopted this moral code into their worldview. As long as what is being done isn't hurting anyone, they think, then what's the harm? This goes hand-in-hand with the statement, "only God can judge, so don't judge me". On the God note, Christians, in particular, have gotten a bad rap in the judgment department. Synonymous with the term "hypocrite", people often point to Christianity as the poster boy of being judgmental towards others that do not conform to the ways in which they walk.
Regardless of how much we may deny it, we are judged by other people in practically every way imaginable. From the way we dress to how we take our coffee to even first impressions, those around us automatically make assumptions about our characters and take them into account when they interact with us from that point on. I'm not even talking about Christians at this point, but rather the entirety of the human race, myself included. It's so easy to remember the one time someone wronged you rather than the countless good deeds they've also displayed in tandem. Judgment is everywhere, and therefore unavoidable.
Isn't it interesting how judgment isn't a problem until it puts on a Christian mask?
Here's the problem: we, as Christians, are CALLED to judge.
Yes, you read that right.
I can almost hear the response now: "Only God can judge!" "Don't tell me how to live my life!" "We're called to love others, not call people out!"
Stop typing. Save your angry comments. Let's dive deeper.
Now, I'm not condoning the bashing of somebody whose worldview differs from yours; in fact, I speak violently against this (we, as Christians, are called to a higher standard than the world, and putting someone that does not live a Christian life under our standards is where the hypocrisy accusations begin). I'm talking about judgment WITHIN the church body. Having received a calling to a higher standard, we need to keep the body accountable for its shortcomings, not in a prideful or demeaning manner, but rather in love, speaking truth into their lives with the sole intention of helping them further their relationship with Christ.
After all, how can you tell good fruit from bad fruit with no judgment (see Matthew 7:18-20)? How can you know the words of God from a false prophet without discernment (see Matthew 7:15-16)? How will you be able to identify the goodness of God from the evil of Satan if judgment is not in play (see Hebrews 5:14)? Without judgment, we are susceptible to anything the enemy has to throw at us. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 2:15, that "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments". Additionally, Paul continues on this idea in 1 Corinthians 6:2 - "...don't you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest cases?" Paul reaffirms that God has given us a spirit of discernment which should be used to separate what is good from what is evil, and we are to think about and surround ourselves with such things that will glorify God and edify ourselves (see Philippians 4:8).
Now, we must be careful about HOW we approach the subject of judgment. Matthew 7:1 is pointed to as the quintessential verse behind the ever-growing "Let-Me-Live-My-Life" movement: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." However, like several popular verses from the Bible, this is often taken wildly out of context, even by believers. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is speaking on hypocritical judgment. That is, how can one judge another for a matter when they are in the matter themselves? For example, if someone were to tell another off for having premarital sex, yet they are in sexual sin themselves, there's a problem. Likewise, if I find myself judging someone for how they treat others, yet I am in a position of belittling or speaking ill of those around me, then I am at fault.
The same goes for John 8:1-11, which is the story of the adulterous woman. Most likely, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were in the same sin themselves. Mosaic law required that the man involved in the adultery should be stoned as well, and a witness was also needed to confirm any suspicion. Based on the lack of evidence, one could assume that one of the Pharisees was the other guilty party. Think about it...how else would they know of the woman's wrongdoing if neither the man nor a witness was present?
So, what does this mean for us? We are called to discern between good and evil, but we cannot do it out of a critical spirit or a self-righteous, "holier-than-thou" attitude. Unfortunately, there are plenty of those in the church, and regardless of how much time you've spent around the church body, you've probably experienced someone that wrongly embodies judgment. Some put others down constantly, some produce roadblocks for new believers, and some hold signs that only provoke anger. Rather, we are to speak the truth in love, grace, humility, and gentleness, knowing that we are sinners as well and that we must first remove the log from our eye to help a brother with a speck in his own (see Matthew 7:1-5). We have all fallen short of the glory of God; no one follower of Jesus is higher than another. In that vein of thought, if we see a problem within the body of Christ, it is our moral duty to bring the issue to light and combat the issue head-on. However, the method in which we wage war is crucial: approach the situation with a sound mind, the loving heart of the Father, and the Words of the Almighty God.
- - -
-JDH
The other day, my brain landed on a particular quote from a crucial scene, where a disguised Megamind finds himself on a date. Across the table from him is his long-time crush, Roxanne, who is unaware that she is chatting up the dastardly evildoer of Metro City. As Megamind, under the guise of Bernard (the librarian), asks her if she would still enjoy his company regardless of how he looked, Roxanne answers with something simple, yet quite profound:
Roxanne: "Of course! You don't judge a book by its cover or a person by the outside."
Megamind: "Oh! That's a relief to hear."
Roxanne: "You judge them by their actions."
Megamind: "...Well, that seems kinda petty, don't you think?"
That quote got me thinking about the subject of judgment. Megamind isn't wrong; judgment, both based on actions and as a whole, CAN come across as petty, especially in the culture that my generation has experienced growing up.
We have been indoctrinated with the philosophy of "Do What Thou Wilt", and both secular and religious bodies have adopted this moral code into their worldview. As long as what is being done isn't hurting anyone, they think, then what's the harm? This goes hand-in-hand with the statement, "only God can judge, so don't judge me". On the God note, Christians, in particular, have gotten a bad rap in the judgment department. Synonymous with the term "hypocrite", people often point to Christianity as the poster boy of being judgmental towards others that do not conform to the ways in which they walk.
Regardless of how much we may deny it, we are judged by other people in practically every way imaginable. From the way we dress to how we take our coffee to even first impressions, those around us automatically make assumptions about our characters and take them into account when they interact with us from that point on. I'm not even talking about Christians at this point, but rather the entirety of the human race, myself included. It's so easy to remember the one time someone wronged you rather than the countless good deeds they've also displayed in tandem. Judgment is everywhere, and therefore unavoidable.
Isn't it interesting how judgment isn't a problem until it puts on a Christian mask?
Here's the problem: we, as Christians, are CALLED to judge.
Yes, you read that right.
I can almost hear the response now: "Only God can judge!" "Don't tell me how to live my life!" "We're called to love others, not call people out!"
Stop typing. Save your angry comments. Let's dive deeper.
Now, I'm not condoning the bashing of somebody whose worldview differs from yours; in fact, I speak violently against this (we, as Christians, are called to a higher standard than the world, and putting someone that does not live a Christian life under our standards is where the hypocrisy accusations begin). I'm talking about judgment WITHIN the church body. Having received a calling to a higher standard, we need to keep the body accountable for its shortcomings, not in a prideful or demeaning manner, but rather in love, speaking truth into their lives with the sole intention of helping them further their relationship with Christ.
After all, how can you tell good fruit from bad fruit with no judgment (see Matthew 7:18-20)? How can you know the words of God from a false prophet without discernment (see Matthew 7:15-16)? How will you be able to identify the goodness of God from the evil of Satan if judgment is not in play (see Hebrews 5:14)? Without judgment, we are susceptible to anything the enemy has to throw at us. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 2:15, that "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments". Additionally, Paul continues on this idea in 1 Corinthians 6:2 - "...don't you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest cases?" Paul reaffirms that God has given us a spirit of discernment which should be used to separate what is good from what is evil, and we are to think about and surround ourselves with such things that will glorify God and edify ourselves (see Philippians 4:8).
Now, we must be careful about HOW we approach the subject of judgment. Matthew 7:1 is pointed to as the quintessential verse behind the ever-growing "Let-Me-Live-My-Life" movement: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." However, like several popular verses from the Bible, this is often taken wildly out of context, even by believers. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is speaking on hypocritical judgment. That is, how can one judge another for a matter when they are in the matter themselves? For example, if someone were to tell another off for having premarital sex, yet they are in sexual sin themselves, there's a problem. Likewise, if I find myself judging someone for how they treat others, yet I am in a position of belittling or speaking ill of those around me, then I am at fault.
The same goes for John 8:1-11, which is the story of the adulterous woman. Most likely, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were in the same sin themselves. Mosaic law required that the man involved in the adultery should be stoned as well, and a witness was also needed to confirm any suspicion. Based on the lack of evidence, one could assume that one of the Pharisees was the other guilty party. Think about it...how else would they know of the woman's wrongdoing if neither the man nor a witness was present?
So, what does this mean for us? We are called to discern between good and evil, but we cannot do it out of a critical spirit or a self-righteous, "holier-than-thou" attitude. Unfortunately, there are plenty of those in the church, and regardless of how much time you've spent around the church body, you've probably experienced someone that wrongly embodies judgment. Some put others down constantly, some produce roadblocks for new believers, and some hold signs that only provoke anger. Rather, we are to speak the truth in love, grace, humility, and gentleness, knowing that we are sinners as well and that we must first remove the log from our eye to help a brother with a speck in his own (see Matthew 7:1-5). We have all fallen short of the glory of God; no one follower of Jesus is higher than another. In that vein of thought, if we see a problem within the body of Christ, it is our moral duty to bring the issue to light and combat the issue head-on. However, the method in which we wage war is crucial: approach the situation with a sound mind, the loving heart of the Father, and the Words of the Almighty God.
- - -
-JDH
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