Judging Jesus

If you were to rate the subject matter of conversations between ‘the church’ and ‘the world’, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a more prominent topic than “judging”. This assessment is not about placing blame, just about looking at the situation realistically. The world resists being viewed in light of the standard of Scripture.

What exactly is the negative connotation associated with judging? Let’s clarify what it is we’re talking about.
It's about the perception: We don’t see “judgement“ as some harmless assessment of a person or situation. We see it as degrading or marginalizing in the sense that we’re intentionally looking at a person inaccurately, and therefore purposefully looking to see them as worse than what they are. To judge someone is to “lessen” them unfairly.
However, when you break it down and think of what it is that’s so negative about judging, many of us are guilty of doing just that.
How does The Word of God present Jesus?

Here’s The Word:

Mark 8:29(a) And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

The last verse says that everything that’s in God, The Father - is also in The Son. Everything the Father loves and Hates – Jesus loves and hates. Seeing that we already have God’s Word and its accurate picture of Jesus, how is it that we disregard such an assessment and apply our own perception (or perspective) unfairly? Because of our own desires or ideas of ‘fairness’ or blessing or right standing, or a misconstrued value of works, we automatically assume that we have Jesus’ stamp of approval.

I don’t believe that there is anything more dangerous than this.

For most of us, we don't much mind if someone sees us "better" than we really are, but even this has a way of taking a turn. Think about how desirable it is to be perceived as kind, then think about how we feel when someone is obviously mistaking our kindness for weakness. What if Jesus feels this way?

We judge, and progressively, misjudge Jesus when we make much of only the ‘likable’ aspects of His character:
  - His compassion
  - His sacrifice
  - His dedication to our Perfection
  - His promises of Abundant Life
  - His tolerance for the destitute

Yet, we negate who He is when we deny other aspects of His character:
  - His confrontational side
  - His contempt for those who deceive
  - His exclusivity as the ONLY way
  - His disdain for “lukewarm”
  - The severity and totality of His Wrath at the end of the age.

We value His presence when we’re feeling empowered, but question His love and distance when we feel empty.
The Bible talks about both power as well as purging– why would we expect only one, and not the other? Why would we try and preach a Jesus that loves, yet shy away from His disciplinarian side?
All of this is simply to bring to light the fact that we really do need much in the way of refinement. And thanks be to God that we have a Savior Whose blood has purchased us. And not only that: We have a Lord and He’s committed to changing more about us than we often realize. I pray that God open our eyes to Truth. That we would see Jesus rightly and trust ourselves totally to His care, not just to judge Him on what seems most convenient to us.

In Him,
Cros