Matthew 7:1-2 "Judge not, that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
My wife and I attend many sporting events involving local teams. We began following our children in their recreational leagues many years ago and continued to support programs in the local schools as they grew up. With the exception of one daughter's boyfriend who we cheer for on his college soccer team, we no longer have ties to the competitors in the games we attend. But we still attend. Connie and I have found that watching young people involved in athletic activity has been enjoyable and of nominal cost.
Over the years we have observed that there are two things which can be found at every sporting competition regardless of the age or skill-level of the participants; those two things are losing teams (and their fans) believing that all of the calls went against them, and winning teams (and their fans) verbally teasing the opponents. Sometimes the latter are funny comments and sometimes they are mean; rarely, however, are they intended to do anything more than make sport of someone else's misfortune.
A couple of weeks ago, Connie and I were at a college basketball game that was going very well for the locals in the first half. Just before the buzzer went off and the teams headed into the locker room, the score was 36-8 in favor of our home boys. With no other reason than to ridicule a poor performance, the student section of our college began to chant in loud unison, "single digits" over and over again. I didn't think much about it because that is what student sections do until a more civil fan just behind me made a comment: she said, "they should be saying single digit." And she was right. College students mocking other college kids really ought to know that eight is only one number standing alone, and as only one number it should not be given the plural title, "digits."
The situation made me think about Matthew 7 and the ever popular verse about not judging. Now I know that most people are dishonest in how they use this verse, and when they are telling others that they should not judge...well, they are judging people for judging, and I always want to show them the many other verses that insist that we judge things as opposed to people in order to decide right from wrong...but still, there is something to be said about not judging.
So, I considered the first several verses of Matthew 7 and here is my paraphrase, "Don't judge other people with a mean heart and selfish motives because then you will be judged the same way."
Then, I thought about the lady behind me and how her comment never would have been made if a whole slew of college students hadn't felt that it was perfectly fine to judge the performance of an opposing team. She wouldn't have said a word, but their foolish judgment demanded it. And she, the one with the second word, was right. Those who spoke first, actually ended up looking silly.
Okay, do not get me wrong. College students have fun. Fans have fun. That isn't my point. Let them continue to shout, "You!" and "Airball!"
And it isn't my point that we should never call things what they are, otherwise we blur the line between right and wrong.
But it is my point that we ought to be really, really careful about the spirit and heart of our judgment. And we ought to be very aware that everytime we engage in it, we put a spotlight on us that would not have been there before.
Maybe we should judge things (even sometimes calling them wrong) in a way that is loving and with the intent to build someone up, rather then in a manner of ridicule and with the purpose of destruction. Whenever I judge, I know the difference. I know what I am doing. And I know that sometimes I should just stop doing what I am doing. If I judge me first, maybe I won't have to worry about others judging me later.
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