The Command
We are commanded by Jesus not to judge people.
“Do not judge other people. Then you will not be judged. You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others.”—Matthew 7:1-2 (NIRV)
The Amplified Classic version puts it this way:
“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)
We are not given an option. We are commanded not to judge people. But we can’t just do nothing. If we stop having judgmental thoughts, we have to fill that void with something. So, what should we do instead? Where should we focus our thoughts and actions?
Judgment is a form of rejection. If we do not judge, then we accept people unconditionally, choosing to withhold judgment and criticism.
If we stop judging people, then we accept them and love them, just as they are, unconditionally, without looking down on them, or finding fault, or pressuring them to change in any way in order to be accepted.
Jesus didn’t put any conditions on this. We are forbidden from judging people. Period.
This doesn’t mean that we have to approve of their lifestyle choices. We can never approve of sin. So, we have to separate in our minds the person from their behavior. We can love and accept the person, completely and unconditionally, without approving of their sinful lifestyle choices.
If you saw the movie, Jesus Revolution, then you may have realized that this revolution that brought revival to an entire generation never would have happened if the hippies had not sought out the Christians. The Christians were not reaching out to the hippies. In many ways, it seemed that the Church had already judged and condemned the hippies because of their lifestyle choices.
Pastor Chuck Smith initially wanted nothing to do with the hippies. Even after he was finally persuaded to allow them into the church, many members of his church complained and left the church, rejecting these hippies who were seeking God in the only ways they knew how.
“How dare this pastor reach out to sinners who were seeking to know God … and actually invite these dirty sinners into the church?!” This was very offensive to the Christians who chose to judge the hippies, rather than to offer them the love and acceptance that Christ commanded us to demonstrate.
We all need to have the same attitude and the same view of people that Jesus had:
“If anyone hears my words and does not obey them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”—John 12:47 (ICB)
We must not look down in judgment on people whom God has accepted.
“The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.”—Romans 14:3 (NIV)
“Then let us not criticize one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block or a source of temptation in another believer’s way.”—Romans 14:13 (AMP)
In Isaiah 58, God shares the behavior that He wants to see in our lives toward others:
“Here is the way I want you to fast.
“Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain. Share your food with hungry people. Provide homeless people with a place to stay. Give naked people clothes to wear. Provide for the needs of your own family.
“Then the light of my blessing will shine on you like the rising sun. I will heal you quickly. I will march out ahead of you. And my glory will follow behind you and guard you. That’s because I always do what is right. You will call out to me for help. And I will answer you. You will cry out. And I will say, ‘Here I am.’
“Get rid of the chains you use to hold others down. Stop pointing your finger at others as if they had done something wrong. Stop saying harmful things about them. Work hard to feed hungry people. Satisfy the needs of those who are crushed.
“Then my blessing will light up your darkness. And the night of your suffering will become as bright as the noonday sun. I will always guide you. I will satisfy your needs in a land baked by the sun. I will make you stronger. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring whose water never runs dry. Your people will rebuild the cities that were destroyed long ago. And you will build again on the old foundations. You will be called One Who Repairs Broken Walls. You will be called One Who Makes City Streets Like New Again.” —Isaiah 58:6-12 NIRV
We can either judge people and find fault with them, or we can love and accept them for who they are, but we cannot do both at the same time.
God has commanded us to love people and to leave the judgment to Him.
Judging people is God’s responsibility. Our responsibility is to love them.
“Do not hold anything against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.”—Leviticus 19:18 (NIRV)
“The whole law is fulfilled by obeying this one command. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18)”—Galatians 5:14 (NIRV)
“We know the God who said, ‘I am the God who judges people. I will pay them back.’ (Deuteronomy 32:35) Scripture also says, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ (Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14)”—Hebrews 10:30 (NIRV)
My friend Phil Wyman pastored churches in California and Massachusetts. Later in life, he adopted a nomadic lifestyle and traveled around the USA meeting many people and sharing life with them. He loved going to festivals because he believed that people are more open to deeper spiritual experiences in festival environments. One of his mottos was “Love Big or Go Home.” He wrote:
“The people who don’t matter are the people who matter to me. The lost, the outcast, the broken, the lonely, the doubting, the disenfranchised, the heart-broken, the hopeless, the homeless, and those who feel homeless even though a roof is over their head — you are my people.” (Wyman, p.2)
When Phil died, his Facebook page became a seemingly endless stream of tributes to this man who loved the unlovable, welcomed the unwanted, and accepted those who had been rejected by others.
Tributes from grateful hearts poured in from Christians and atheists; singers and writers; teachers and students; rich and poor; believers, doubters, and pagans.
Phil welcomed me into his home and his life. I didn’t spend as much time with him as others did, but I cannot forget him because he seemed to be my biggest fan and encourager. He often sent positive, encouraging feedback in response to my newsletters. He called me one of his heroes, but to me he was much greater than a hero. To me, he was a living, breathing embodiment of Jesus Christ. He impacted my life in unforgettable ways because he may have been the closest thing to Jesus Christ that I have ever known on this earth.
That is what we are called to be on this earth—not judges, not critics, but living, breathing examples of the love and acceptance of Jesus Christ in the lives of the people we encounter every day.
Reference:
Wyman, P. (2015). Burning Religion: navigating the impossible space between religion and secular society.
