don't judge

i find it hard sometimes not to have my own perception of one's personality and character. just because the way one presents him/herself on the outside, i tend to form my own imaginary version of that person, especially if i have not known that person well enough. and usually, this criticism of one's person eventually leads to judgment, starting from silly things like hairstyle and clothing, to more non-superficial materials like attitude and personality, or even some fabricated goss about some certain skeleton in one's closet, all out of mere perception and opinion.

do not judge a book by its cover. damn cliche, yet so true. in reality, hardly practiced. nobody is perfect, we all have our wrongs and errs and weaknesses in this wretched human body, which we supposedly ought to have surrendered to JC to be conformed into His likeness, but, oh how grandly we fail each time. we all like to be accepted yet so hard to accept others.

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye

(Matthew 7:1-5)

living in grace, i thought we would be able to do it. not to judge, not to measure someone with our own measuring cup, thus able to offer sincere acceptance to anyone. as sinners who have been completely forgiven and not even condemned, shouldn't it be effortless for us to do the same for others? last night KoTed shared in FA, the more we comprehend God's grace, the more we should be grateful for it, the more we will be changed from the inside.

from the heart.

the reason we have been the way we are, ungrateful and unappreciative of our redeemed life is simply this! we do not fully fathom the depth, breadth, width, the enormity of God's love, mercy and grace for us. hence we still act the way we act: cranky, unforgiving and judgmental.

take this parable for example.

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy–seven times.

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant's master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. (that is, a few dollars) He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

(Matthew 18:21-35)

that represents us, sometimes... well, most of the time. we have received salvation, we have been saved, we go to church every Sunday and it makes us feel we're much better than all the other people out there. pride is such a cardinal sin. yet, did JC not say, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven"? and true to His Word, JC never did. otherwise, how can such teacher who rebukes sin and cast away demons become so attractive for sinners who have committed evil things?

i've never seen JC's face in physical sense but i can assure you it is full of compassion, forgiveness and acceptance.

they don't see condemning eyes nor judgmental stare. they see love in Him. JC is an absolute magnet for those people consider the filthiest members of society, with a circle of friends that includes the likes of Mary Magdalene and Zacchaeus. JC is the face of compassion and acceptance, and i often get pissed at myself not to be able to pull off even a tenth of such compassion, but hey, i am not gonna stop just there. i will pick myself up again and keep trying, because i believe that this is what He has for me in store.

to be like Him.

and where do i start?

don't judge.