THE GUILTY JUDGE

Judge not, that ye be not judged - Matthew 7 :1 

A song writer once wrote - " We're quick to notice the faults in others, but the wrongs in our own lives we often deny." How very true this is! Many human beings do not like to be criticised, but are great critics themselves. When observing, it is easy to spot mistakes, loopholes and anything below perfection. However, only a few can actually swap positions with the one being observed and not produce similar or even poorer results. It is absurd and foolish for a man to say to his brother - 'let me take the speck out of your eye,' whilst he himself has a log in his own eye. What a cheek! Yet almost all of us are, or have been found guilty of this wrong doing. 

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 8 vrs 1 - 11, Jesus was confronted with a woman accused of having committed adultery. The accused woman was surrounded by self-made judges who were ready to stone her to death. Jesus, knowing all of the self-pronounced judges were themselves guilty , wisely asked the one without sin to throw the first stone. One by one they dropped their stones and retreated. The obvious reason being the dawning of their own sinful ways. I bet at that hour their minds replayed scenes of theft, adultery, lying, and the ugliest of sins they had committed in the past. Their own guilt stopped them in their tracks. The very judges of evil were guilty of evil doing! Jesus showed us in a profound way why we should not be quick at judging others.  

Matthew 5:7 declares - blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. We are all fallible, so must deal gently with wrong doers. Which man can say - ' I am without sin, or have never done wrong '?       1 John 1:8 puts it this way -" If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Whoever claims to be a spotless man with no blemish whatsoever, is described by the word of God as a liar, and permit me to add, is in pathetic denial. When King David committed adultery and murder, God sent his servant Nathan to him. Being wise, Nathan did not judge or rebuke the King upfront, but played back David's sin before him with a tale. David, like most of us, evaded mercy, and in a judge's robe was angry that someone had acted so inappropriately. He verbally sentenced the poor soul to death. Ironically,he placed a death sentence on himself. When the scales finally fell off his eyes, surprisingly, God did not place on David his own pronounced death sentence. He rather dealt with the king in mercy. 

As guilty ones, we need mercy. Therefore let us take off our garments as judges, and clad ourselves with mercy. As we emit mercy, mercy will be shown to us. The next time you are tempted to judge someone, remember your own short comings and the mercy you will need to be shown to you. Deal gently and mercifully with the guilty. For mercy will be measured out to you in the same measure you render it to others. Please reflect on this line of verse : Romans 2:1 - Therefore , thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou judgest doest the same things.