Why We Must Stop Judging People - Part 5
We were at a street festival in large American city, It was about 10:00pm. The festival was in the process of shutting down for the night. Artists were securing their booths and clearing out. My friend and I had been walking through the festival; sometimes approaching people to share encouraging words of prophecy and words of knowledge as we felt led by the Holy Spirit.
Seeing a young lady working at one of the many beer stands along the street, we approached her. After a little small talk, I said, “This may sound weird, but sometimes we see things in people that they may not even be aware of about themselves. Is it alright if we share with you what we see?”
“Go ahead,” she said.
My friend went first, sharing very positive and encouraging words about the good qualities that he saw in this young lady.
I followed up by telling her that, “I see you as a treasure chest. Looking at you from the outside, people really can’t see all of the treasure that you have inside you. I believe you have talents, abilities, and possibilities that even you haven’t discovered in yourself yet.”
The young woman looked sideways at us, took the cigarette out of her mouth, pointed to us, and asked, “Are you guys Christians?”
I wanted to be careful how I answered that question because I wasn’t sure how she viewed Christians.
I answered, “Yes, we are Christians, but we may not be like Christians you’ve met before.”
I am so glad that I answered her in that way, because of what she told us next.
“I thought so. I can tell you guys are speaking truth. I was kicked out of church when I was younger. My mother had gotten divorced, and so the church kicked us out.”
Even years later, I am still deeply affected by her story.
At what was probably the most painful time of her life, instead of offering comfort, encouragement, and support, the church thought that the best thing to do with this small family was to remove them from their presence and kick them out to the street. While this hurting mother and daughter were still dealing with the pain of having their family ripped apart, the Church decided to cut them off from their spiritual family as well, making the deep wounds much worse.
I’m not sure what the name of the church was, but I imagine that they could call themselves the Holier Than Thou Church of Judgment Without Mercy.
Of course, there are two sides to every story. Admittedly, I never heard the church’s side of the story, but if what this girl told us was the truth, then the Church was guilty of judging and condemning this family unjustly, kicking them out with no plans to restore them; and in doing that, this church ensured that the full judgment of God would be brought against them because of this unjust judgment against this hurting family.
“For the one who has shown no mercy will be judged without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”—James 2:13 (ISV)
“Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.”—Matthew 7:1-2 (AMPC)
Pastors and shepherds are not mentioned much in scripture, but when they are, it is often in a negative context when pronouncements of judgment are declared against them because of their unjust treatment of the people in their care, like the unjust judgment that this young lady and her mother received at the hands of their church.
“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.
Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord, have spoken!”—Jeremiah 23:1-4 (NLT)
Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.
“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.”—Ezekiel 34:1-10 (NLT)
May God help us to become good shepherds who are willing to leave the 99 that are safe and secure, to seek and save that one who is lost, confused, hurting, and vulnerable, and to restore them to fellowship, caring for them without judgment, without criticism, and without condemnation.
May God help us to follow the example of Jesus, who said, **“**I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 NASB)
