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Do Not Judge
Brian Mashburn
August 28, 2016
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Do Not Judge
The story has stuck with me from the first time I read it 25 years ago in the introduction to a book. The author walked onto a public transit train where sat a man with 3 young children. The kids were out of control. They were loud, running up and down the car, bumping into - and irritating - a whole bunch of people. The dad didn't seem to care or even notice. The author was certain that this man was a horrible father and negligent society member. Based on what he saw, what else could it be?
The author, in what he believed to be an act of incredible restraint, not to mention a lesson in public transportation etiquette that this man clearly needed, kindly tapped the father on the shoulder and pointed out his rowdy kids.
The man snapped out of the trance he was in, rounded his kids back to their seats, and apologized profusely, explaining, "We are headed home from the hospital where their mom, my wife, just passed away. I guess all four of us are a bit shaken."
Wow. What you don't know matters, doesn't it?
I bet we all have a similar story, because we all judge people and circumstances by what we see and what we assume.
Jesus could not be clearer: do not do that. Do. Not. Judge.
He is not saying don't use discernment. He is not saying don't reason things out. He is not saying don't lovingly confront sin in your Christian family.
He is saying do not condemn. Do not presume. Do not judge. Why? Because nothing sabotages your potential spiritual influence on someone else - or is more hypocritical - that you judging them.
So, for Christ's sake, do not do it.