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“A THEOLOGICAL BOOMERANG”

MATTHEW 7:1-5

 

7:1  "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.

2  For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

3  Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?

4  Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye?

5  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.

 

Now that the dust has settled a little it’s probably safe to ask the question. What did you think about the whole Terry Shiavo saga? Who was right?  Who was wrong? Did you agree with the parents who wanted to keep her alive? Or did you agree with the husband who wanted to let her die in peace? What do you think about the politicians who got involved in that titanic tug-of-war?  Were they genuinely concerned about the welfare of this woman who couldn’t speak for herself?  Or were they political opportunists who saw this as a way to win a few votes in the next election? What about the judges who had to listen to all those appeals? Were they cold and callous or were they capable and conscientious? 

 

Before you answer that question remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.

Judge not, that you not be judged!

 

I don’t know about you, but those words would make me think twice before I pointed a finger of shame at anyone. By the way, that’s one of the worst things you can be accused of being if you’re a person of faith. Nobody wants to be called a judgmental Christian.  Those two words don’t go together at all.

 

If that’s true, then someone should tell that to the church secretary who was given a special assignment one day by the church’s pastor.  It all started with a list of people who hadn’t been seen in church for quite some time.  “I want you to write a letter to each of these people,” the pastor said.  “Maybe that will get them back to church on Sunday morning.”  Well, a few days later the pastor received a letter from a prominent physician who name had been on the list.  In the letter the prominent physician apologized profusely for having been absent so often.  The letter also included a check for $1,000 to cover the contributions he would have made had he been there.  He also promised to be in church the following Sunday morning.  Then there was the peculiar P.S. at the bottom of the page.  “By the way,” the physician wrote, “please tell your secretary that there is only one t in dirty and no c in skunk.”

 

Judge not, that you not be judged!  That’s impossible to do though isn’t it?  After all, you have to make judgments about people each and every day.  You have to make judgments about who they are and what they’re all about.

 

When you’re a parent you have to decide if the little boy down the street is a good or bad influence on your child.  When you’re an employer you have to decide if someone should be fired.  Sometimes when you’re dating you have to decide if you really love the other person or if it’s really an unhealthy relationship.  Sometime you make a judgment without even saying a word.  You come to the conclusion that your neighbor is really selfish.  You come to the conclusion that a friend can be very petty and mean spirited.  You come to the conclusion that your boss is really arrogant and obnoxious.

 

Judge not that you not be judged.  Does that mean all those judgments that you make are sinful and wrong? Not necessarily.  What you have to remember is that there’s a big difference between judging and being judgmental.

 

When you judge someone you form an opinion about that person, but you accept the fact that there’s still a lot of good in that person.  You also accept the fact that you might be wrong about that person and even if you’re right you do your best to always give that person a second chance.

 

When you’re being judgmental you decide that there’s nothing good in that person at all and that he or she will never, ever change.  So, you slam the door shut. Then you lock it and throw away the key forever.

 

Take the Terry Shiavo fiasco for example.  Many people saw the husband as the villain in all of that. He was accused of being all kinds of things by protestors, politicians and even a few priests.  None of them could see into his heart though.  None of them really knew what was going on in his head.  So, it’s entirely possible that this was a man who was really trying to do what was right for his wife. It’s entirely possible that the whole ordeal was very painful for him too.

 

The difference between judging and being judgmental is simple.

You can judge a person and still love that person.

When you’re being judgmental there’s no room in your heart at all for that person.

 

You end up feeling the same way a little old lady felt one day when a salesman came knocking on her door. “Good morning,” the salesman said.  “If I could have a couple minutes of your time, I’d like to show you the very latest in high-powered vacuum cleaners.” “Go away,” the little old lady replied.  “I don’t have any money.”  As soon as she started to close the door though the salesman got his foot in the way and managed to keep it open. “I told you I don’t have any money,” the little old lady said again. “Don’t be too hasty!” the salesman insisted. “Just wait until you’ve seen my demonstration.”  With that he emptied a bucket of dirt and cow manure onto the carpet.  “If this vacuum cleaner doesn’t remove all of this dirt and cow manure from your carpet ma’am, I will personally eat what’s left.”  “Well,” the little old lady said indignantly, “I hope you have a good appetite because they turned my electricity off this morning.”

 

Jesus makes it clear that when you’re being judgmental not only do you hurt the person you point the finger of shame at, you also hurt yourself. He made that point by asking a very blunt question.  Jesus said, “Why do you notice the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”  Jesus said that because he knew that there’s a little good and a little bad in all of us.  He also knew that if you focus on the fault, flaws and failures in the people around you, you’re not going to focus on the things about yourself that need to be changed.  So, he said you have to take the log out of your own eye first, and then maybe, just maybe you can help take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

 

Now, if that admonition isn’t enough Jesus makes it clear that there’s another downside when it comes to being judgmental. I call it the theological boomerang.  Simply put, what goes around comes around.  Jesus put it a little more eloquently when he said, “For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

 

Jesus knew that what you give in life is what you’re going to get back.  If you give people a lot of love, you’re going to get a lot of love back.  If you’re heavy handed and hateful, people are going to take every opportunity to shove a little crow in your face in return.  If you go out of your way to encourage people and look for the good in them, people are going to go out of their way to be there for you when you need a little help.

 

Does it happen that way 100% of the time?  No.  Of course not.  Does it always happen immediately? No. I’m afraid it doesn’t.  Over the course of your entire life though what Jesus said is true.  The measure you give will be the measure you get.

 

I found that out earlier this year. I can’t thank all of you enough for all of the sympathy and support that you gave to me following the unexpected death of my mother.  Believe it or not each of you became a pastor and ministered to me. Because of that I felt surrounded by love and I felt incredibly blessed to be a part of this Body of Christ.

 

Believe it or not that theological boomerang is real.  The measure you give is the measure you get.  Jesus knew that instead of being judgmental it’s a lot better to follow the example of the farmer who decided one day to enter his mule in a race.  When the farmer got to the race track though, everyone laughed at him.  The owner of the race track laughed at him.  All the jockeys laughed at him.  The people in the stands laughed at him. “What a stupid idea,” they said. “That mule can’t run with all those thoroughbreds.”  “I know,” the farmer said, “but you don’t know how good it makes him feel to be with all those horses.”

 

I don’t know if that attitude really works with mules, but it definitely works with people. Jesus is calling to you in the Sermon on the Mount.  Do not judge lest you be judged…for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.  Amen.

 

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

April 17, 2005