I'm not okay. You're not okay.

So there’s this article mentioned on facebook this morning.  Other than the whole sexuality thing – which I am not getting into – the phrase which naturally catches one’s attention is “Judge Like Jesus”.  This was, I do believe, considered Biblically inaccurate, offensive, and generally not nice.

Well. I don’t want to judge like Jesus. Nor do I think I’m called to.  I want to judge BY Jesus.

Matthew 5:17-20 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus said that.  He said that if I break the least of the words of Scripture…if I teach others to do the same… if I’m not as good as the best rule-keeper ever…then I’m not measuring up.  Jesus wants me to be like Him. And Jesus is infinitely perfect.  Completely and totally without sin.  He is God- all-knowing, all-loving, ALMIGHTY God in the flesh, infinite and incomprehensible and awesome. 

He is like 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 raised to the power of infinity.

And me?  I’m like a .421. (and that’s on a REALLY good day)

.421 over that number up there?  Less than doodleysquat.  And I don’t care what number you are. Compared to Jesus, you’re not much either.  Maybe Mother Teresa was a 10, maybe Hitler was a .000000002.  Put those numbers over the Jesus number and you still get bubkis.

Judging by Jesus,  I am a Sinner.  So are you.  Which particular sins we each specialize in?  That’s completely irrelevant.  Trying to figure out which one is worse? That’s a stupid waste of time. 

Judging by Jesus, we are all condemned.

Jesus knew that. He came to do something about it. He didn’t just come and tell us how to play nice and share with others.  If that was all that was needed, He wouldn’t have had to die. He could have just floated down, made some speeches, and floated right back up to Heaven again.*  He walked among us – God Almighty in human flesh – to be crucified in blood-soaked agony to pay the debt each one us owes for our sins.  He paid my debt. He took His number (see above) and applied it to my .421!!  When I judge by Jesus – and then come to the mind-blowingly jubilant realization that I will be judged by what HE did instead of what I do – all I can be is prostrate with gratitude. And there is absolutely no room left for me to look at you…or you….or “them” and try to say that “they” are somehow worse than me.  

That’s what judging BY Jesus means. 

Romans 3:10b -25

"None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one."
"Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive."
"The venom of asps is under their lips."
 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known."
 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it - the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.

*hat tip to Dr Carl Broggi whose voice sounds in my head anytime I say or write this point ;)