Judgment and mercy

A number of years ago, during a Sunday morning service, I asked for a show of hands of all who had ever been terribly wounded by someone close to them. Nearly every hand in the congregation went up. Next, I asked for hands to be raised if this wounding had been at the hands of Christians, church members, board members, clergy, or others in the church. Again, nearly every hand went up.

I wasn’t surprised. I grew up in a neighborhood that promised a bloody nose or a split lip nearly every day before and after school at the bus stop, yet, in days past, the greatest pain members of my family and I have ever received has been at the hands of Christian believers, pastors, board members, and denominational officials.

This happens, of course, when church people began to walk in a judgmental attitude toward their fellows. Are we, as Christians, permitted to judge when sin is discovered? Oh, absolutely! “But let a man judge himself…” (1 Cor 11:28a NASB). In fact, we are to ruthlessly, relentlessly, mercilessly judge…ourselves. On the other hand, when it is the sins of others that have been uncovered, “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2 NASB).

We can always justify our violation of these scriptures by claiming that we ought to be “fruit inspectors,” but the truth is that none of us are qualified to judge another, especially if we have a “log in our own eye,” (Matt. 7:3-5) which all of us do.  We are, rather, to understand that “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7).  Does this mean that sin in the church is not to be dealt with? No, but while sin must never be covered up, great care must be taken to insure that the sinner is not uncovered. In Genesis 9, Noah becomes disgracefully drunk and naked following the flood. His son, Ham, discovers his father’s sin and reports the incident to his brothers. It is not Noah, but the one who uncovered Noah’s sin that received the curse. The two brothers, Shem and Japheth, did not make excuses for their father, but they refused to allow anyone else to see his condition. Significantly, Shem and Japheth received blessings for this action.

Certainly, this biblical principle is violated continually in the church today. Not only are the sins of people uncovered, they are done so with a certain glee and satisfaction! One nationally known television evangelist publicly proclaimed Oral Roberts to be “that fool in the tower in Tulsa.” He, himself, was brought down in shame shortly thereafter. One reaps what one sows.

Biblically, here are our only true options: (1) We must ruthlessly, relentlessly, mercilessly judge ourselves. In doing so, we have an assurance that we shall not receive judgment. (2) We must stand in mercy with everyone else realizing that, if the Apostle Paul described himself as a “wretched man” who was the chief of sinners, we deceive ourselves if we think we are better than any other person. We stand in mercy because we are in need of mercy. One reaps what one sows.

Pope Benedict XVI said, "God, who became a lamb, tells us that the world is saved by the crucified, not by those who crucify." (The Rise of Benedict XVI, by John Allen, Jr., page 138). If one looks at the way that the church deals with its sinful, one would think we were followers of Pilate rather than followers of Jesus.

Honestly, I never pray that I “get what I deserve.” What I deserve is judgment and condemnation for, in company with St. Paul, my heart is dark and “my sin is ever before me” (Psa 51:3b NASB). What I desire, rather, is mercy. And, if I have any hope or expectation of being a recipient of mercy, the path is clear: one reaps what one sows.

I shared these thoughts with someone recently who said, “If you take that approach, all you will have is a church full of sinners.” My reply was, “We already have that. It’s just a matter of degrees.” In fact, there is no church anywhere that is not full of sinners. There is no pastor, deacon, priest, bishop, archbishop, patriarch, or pope that is without sin. “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:9 NASB). All are in need to judge themselves and to walk in mercy toward others. In dealing with sin, Christian believers must always remember that correction, at its heart, must have the goals of reconciliation, redemption, and restoration. Too often the goals seem to be trial, condemnation, and crucifixion!

My most frequent personal prayer comes from the heritage of Eastern Orthodoxy, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” May God not give us what we deserve. May we not walk in the way of Pilate but in the way of Christ. May we have the guts to ruthlessly judge ourselves and the wisdom to extend extravagant mercy to all others. One reaps what one sows. Lord, have mercy!