Wandering Crusader #265 Mirror, Mirror

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 

Romans 2:1

The hunt for justification seems to know no bounds. People will say, do, and believe anything in order to feel good about themselves and be justified in their own eyes. Broad is the way that lifts a person up by tearing others down. Narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that seeks self-improvement while lifting others up with you.

That may be why it is so popular for Christians and non-Christians alike to employ the “I saw Christians not acting like Jesus" rant. It provides a self-exalting boost of “spirituality” while giving others their comeuppance for not rushing to embrace me.

Christian or not, if you have ever, in any way, shape, or form, used the “Christians are not like Jesus, they are all holier-than-thou judges” stand by for news! What I am talking about goes like this: “Jesus ate with sinners and associated with people that Christians would not let inside their church. Jesus loved poor people and sinners, but when I meet Christians, all I feel is their stares and judgment.”

What is that word people use to describe a person who does the very thing they condemn in others?

I am especially saddened by those who say they are Christians and give in to this stereotypical rant. I do not doubt their Christianity. I question their wisdom.

The issue is not who is better behaved. In God’s eyes, there is none righteous. If Jesus is the standard, as ranters say, we all fall short. This is not horseshoes or hand grenades. Close isn’t good enough, and neither is closer. Jesus as the standard leaves no room for the slightest imperfection and none for criticism without hypocrisy.

Beams and motes, my friends, beams and motes, we all have them. When you criticize without readiness to forgive, whether that criticism is valid or not, you are doing the same thing you accuse those holier-than-thou people of doing—finding fault and spreading a bit of bigoted gossip.

To be sure, Jesus socialized with publicans, sinners, and social outcasts. However, He did not do so to celebrate their lives. He did so to change their lives and heal their hurts. He did not leave the blind and lame without sight or the ability to walk. He healed them so they could freely offer to others what they received.

Bottom line, people come to Christ because they are unhappy with themselves. They want to change and are willing to surrender themselves to the shaping hand of the Holy Spirit. (Who, by the way, is probably the real source of the shame you’re feeling.)

A person who feels like a social outcast who excludes people from fellowship with him because of how they dress, what they believe, or what they look like is no different from what the sour-faced Christian lady with her hair pulled back in a bun so tight she squints.

I am not opposed to people finding fault with me. I’m not saying I like it or that it doesn’t hurt at times. The truth about us can hurt like no other pain. Nevertheless, if we can receive it, there is nothing more healing.

Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. If there’s nothing wrong with you, the justification of strangers will not help you, and the love of Christ has little to offer you. On the other hand, if you really look at yourself with an honest, critical eye and are not pleased with what you see, Christ can change that. You’re the only one keeping you from Christ.

Maranatha