Books, Discipleship

Dealing with Our Perceived Right to Scoff In Judgment

Max Lucado tells a tale:

His tale parallels the first few chapters of Romans, from his book, “In the Grip of Grace“.

SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t read the book!

To paraphrase quickly, Lucado writes about five brothers living in their father’s castle; but only the eldest followed the father’s wishes. Through disobedience and unfortunate consequences of that disobedience, the youngest four brothers are pulled into a rushing river and swept away, leaving the father with only his eldest son.

The four brothers finally come to rest downriver. They found themselves in a foreign land, far away from their home and their father. One brother builds a hut made of sticks and mud. When the eldest brother went out from the castle and found this brother living in a mud hut; he asked him to return and live with the father. Unfortunately, the brother remained in his mud hut, rejecting the possibility of ever returning to his father’s castle.

Metaphorically this is like the people who Paul speaks of in Romans 1:21-32; who remain in selfishness and immorality (or a mud hut) instead of living a life with our Heavenly Father.

The next brother is up on a hillside scoffing in judgment. He looked down at his brother and his pitiful mud hut.  The eldest brother begins climbing the hill, to request his brother’s return to the father. Before the eldest reached the top, the brother on the hillside yells down.

Have you seen our brother and his mud hut?  Look at him!  Are you aware that he rejected an opportunity to return to the father!  Look at his pride and his shame!

Hearing this, the eldest brother replied, “we need to deal with your problems, not his.

My problems?” the brother exclaims.

Don’t worry about me. You should concentrate on that brother in the mud hut!  He’s the one with the problems! Come on, we’ll go together!  Let’s go down there and deal with him once and for all!

Needless to say, the eldest brother did not follow. Now turn to Romans 2:1-11, to shed some light on the metaphor of this judgmental brother on the hillside!

“1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.”

Look at the second word in this passage.

We see a “therefore”. From this “therefore”, we can establish that this is a follow-up statement from chapter 1. As we know, chapter one focused on a pile of sins including but not limited to; envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

He also goes into a bit of detail about those in the Roman church who are into different types of sexual immorality. Doesn’t it feel good hearing about how much God hates those sinners in chapter 1?

“Yeah, you tell ‘em, Paul! Let the wrath of God come down on all those sinners. Oh, and I’m glad you went into detail about those homos and perverts, ’cause they’re the last people we want coming into our church!”

Soon we all start to sound like the brother on a hillside. We’re scoffing at the sinners below. This is why Paul indicates a “therefore” at the beginning of Romans 2. There is a note that he is turning his attention to the second group of people, but he wants them to remember what he said about the first group. Paul writes,

“You…have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things…when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”

These statements are still true today.

So many of us have secrets, packed away deep in our hearts; and we dare not tell a soul! If you believe that Christians aren’t struggling with envy and deceit; you’re mistaken. If you believe that Christians aren’t struggling with rage and malice; you’re mistaken.

Furthermore, if you believe that Christians aren’t struggling with ALL forms of sexual immorality; you’re mistaken. Aren’t we great at setting levels of sin? When we’re up on our hilltop looking down; it’s so easy for us to start categorizing who should be judged more severely. Even today, many a church has cut off all communication with anyone struggling with homosexuality.

However, in secret, they have leaders who are addicted to pornography or perhaps, involved in some form of a heterosexual adulterous relationship. Is that any better? In the end, will it cause less pain? It’s ALL sexual immorality! It’s ALL sin, which has the power to create deep hurt!

Let me talk a bit about hurt.

When I was a youth pastor our senior pastor taught me a phrase that will stick with me for life.

Hurt people, hurt people.

This senior pastor worked as a chaplain and quite frequently interacted with humanity under terrible circumstances. He had seen all sorts of hurt, sometimes stemming from unfortunate events, but many times stemming from sinful acts.

Perhaps, it’s this role that has caused him to care so deeply for those struggling with sin? He understands that recognizing and caring for those who struggle with sin, may limit the hurt that they cause themselves and others. Caring for those who sin can prevent hurt!

The “Hurt people, hurt people” catch phrase fits into Romans 2.

5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself”. Drop down to verse 9, “9there will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil”.

Can we grasp that simply pointing a finger at the sins of someone else does not help us at all? In fact, we make it harder for ourselves. We’ve climbed so high on our hilltops, hiding all our sin and shame; we have no idea how to come back down. We’re alone and hurting; but all we can do is point our fingers, hoping that no one sees the distress that we carry.

I want to close with two thoughts:

  1. First, from verse 10; “glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good”.
  2. Second, from verse 11,“God does not show favoritism.

We can change. We can choose to do good; and when we do, there will be glory, honor and peace for us. And because God does not show favoritism; he will forgive us and not only guide us down from our hilltop, but he will guide us back to our Father’s castle!

Perhaps, there is a person who you have pointed at? You have judged them based on something they have done in the past or are doing now, but you have neglected to recognize your own distress. You continue to point and ignore the hurt in your heart. Don’t you want it to stop?

Isn’t it exhausting and lonely, having to constantly watch for that person’s next mistake? I challenge you to let Christ take you by the hand and help you down from your hilltop. It’s time to return to the Father and ask for forgiveness. He will take the hurt that has caused you to hurt so many others?

Ask Him to walk you towards that person that you have judged for so long, and then ask for their forgiveness. It doesn’t have to be a well-laid-out confession; simply go and let Him guide your words.

It’s time to end the hurt.