John Wesley once saw a man give just a small gift to a particular charity. “What a cheapskate, what a penny-pincher!” thought Wesley. He confronted the man, “How dare you give so little to such a worthy cause?” Humbly, the man replied, “Sir, before I came to know Christ, I ran up many bills. I cheated others in money, I was very dishonest. Now I’m paying everything off, because Christ has made me an honest man. I can give only a few offerings above my regular tithe. I must settle up with my worldly neighbors and show them what the grace of God can do in the heart of a man who was once dishonest.” Wesley apologized.
It used to be that John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,” was the most quoted verse of the Bible, but these days, another verse is more often quoted: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned (Luke 6:37).” This does not mean we never make a judgment concerning right or wrong, or between what is godly and biblical or ungodly and unbiblical. We are told in many other places of the Bible to make right judgments and discernments and to consider our ways and ways of others. What Jesus means here when He says, “Do not judge,” is that His people are not to make rash judgments, without all the facts, or unfair judgments, based on personal preferences and opinions. When relating to others, followers of Christ must always be slow to judge, slow to speak, and quick to listen. Give the benefit of the doubt. Assume the best of a person, and have spiritual eyes and ears open. “Trust but verify,” President Reagan said.
We are to take out the logs in our own eyes first before we jump to rash judgments and remove the specks in others’ eyes. We must not be quick to criticize or find fault. Harper Lee wrote in To Kill a Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Mary T. Lathrap wrote in the poem, Judge softly, “Just walk a mile in his moccasins before you abuse, criticize, and accuse.” What kind of patience and mercy does God expect us to have with others? The same as He had with us when we were His enemies.