3 Lessons Related to Title Judgment
The Gospel of John (56) Three major lessons related to judgment (8:12-20)
1. Be extremely careful with your judgment
When arguing with the Pharisees for the truth, the Lord said to the Pharisees, “You judge according to the flesh, but I judge no one” (verse 15). If the Lord does not judge, the saints should be more careful in their judgment. Why should we be wary of judgment?
First, because judgment is an arrogant act that violates God and the law (James 4:11). The law was not given as a measure of judging and slandering others, but was given to oneself as a mirror and to others as a standard of love. Second, because judgment can destroy the order of human relationships. Judgment runs the risk of putting the judge in the judge's position. Third, because judgment can be an act of self-harm. When you look at the sins of others, your bright eyes prevent you from seeing your own sins, and eventually ruin your own life.
2. Judge with the evidence
In life, even if you try not to judge as much as possible, there may be times when you are forced to make decisions. In other words, there are cases where ‘judgment for discernment’ is needed rather than ‘judgment for slander’. Even then, don't be rash and judge with clear evidence.
The most frequent noun word in the text is ‘evidence’, and the next most frequent noun word is ‘judgment’. Evidence and judgment suggest that there is a fairly deep connection. Evidence is what is obvious. There should not be such a figure of judging without knowing precisely and vaguely knowing. Try not to judge as much as possible, but if you find yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to judge, base your judgment on clear and solid information.
3. Pray for Judgment
Even if there is clear evidence, do not judge only by the outward appearance of the evidence, but pray for spiritual eyes to realize the truth behind the evidence. In particular, prejudice and preconceived notions must be cast aside. When you see a person who judges according to the body, there are many cases where you have the content to judge.
At the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, Ambassador Muhak visited Lee Seong-gye. Seong-gye Lee saw a monk who looked like a pig and joked about it. "script! Why is the Ambassador like a pig?” Ambassador Muhak looked at Lee Seong-gye and said, “Great! How is the chieftain like a Buddha?” Lee Seong-gye was strange and asked. "script! I say that I am like a pig, so why do they say that I am like a Buddha?” Ambassador Muhak answered again. “The reason is that people like pigs only see pigs, and people like Buddha only see Buddha.”
Why do you make any judgments? It's usually because you have your own faults. Such judgments are made based on one's own prejudices and preconceived notions, so it is easy to lose objectivity and is dangerous because it is impossible to give an accurate answer to the problem. So, be careful with your judgment, as the Indian proverb says, “If you haven't worn your opponent's shoes for more than two weeks, don't judge!”
< Get rid of wrong judgment >
How to get rid of bad judgment? First, don't take it easy to believe in slanderous words. It is difficult to believe what you have seen, but if you easily believe what you hear from others and judge others, you will be destroyed. Second, do not rush to judge. It takes time to understand humans. Third, open your mouth and talk about the person's strengths. The secret to Franklin's success is that he doesn't talk about the shortcomings at all, he talks about the strengths as much as he can.
Humans have two eyes. They are ‘eyes that see others’ and ‘eyes that see me’. The ‘eyes that see me’ are always generous, forgiving, and forgetful eyes, but the ‘eyes that see others’ are the eyes that are hard to forget about cruel, unforgiving and disappointing things. Pascal said. “There is one strange thing. People are very indignant at the sins and wrongdoings of others, but they are reluctant to recognize their own faults.” It is one of the most difficult things in the world to change the 'eyes that see others' and the 'eyes that see yourself', but if you can achieve it, you will be the most blessed being in the world.