Title: Grace and Judgment/Romans 2:1-11
Grace and Judgment (Romans 2:1-11)
In the Gospels, we see Jesus having a meal with Matthew the tax collector and sinners. When the Pharisees and scribes saw this, they asked, “How can Jesus have a meal with tax collectors and sinners?” while criticizing. Because at that time, publicans and sinners were people who practiced injustice. They believed that God is angry with those who practice iniquity. Therefore, they could not understand how Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners.
The words of the book of Romans we read today clearly tell us that we cannot judge others.
First, we don't have a baton to strike a judge when he makes a decision.
In Matthew 20:1-16, a person who works 10 hours is very angry that it is unfair to pay the same wages as a person who worked 1 hour. To this worker, Jesus says in Matthew 15:20, “Do not you take what I have and do what I want? Do you look evil because I am good?” How can I criticize grace with my own thoughts and preconceived notions about the grace I have given and dilute that great grace. This word means that we humans do not have a judgment rod. It is God who judges. We can freely say that his evil deeds are very wrong. But it cannot be said that we cannot receive God's grace for his evil deeds. This is not to say that we should give up our critical abilities. Obviously, it is our job to hate sin. But it is God's job to judge the sinner.
Second, we are not good enough to judge others.
In Matthew 5:48, Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” But none of us can be perfect like God. Therefore, only God can do the work of judgment.
So, why do people like to judge and criticize others? The reason is that when I point out other people's weaknesses, I think my weaknesses are covered. He who looks only at the speck in another's eye does not see the beam in his own eye.
Because even in our lives, when there is someone who has done something worse than me, the less evil person can avoid that judgment. So, rather than acknowledging their own faults, people try to find the faults of others. Text 2:2-4 speaks clearly about these things. “We know that the judgment of God is true to those who practice these things. You who judge those who practice these things, but do the same thing, do you think you will escape the judgment of God? Do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and forbearance, not knowing that he leads you to repentance?”
Brothers and sisters, we are not good enough to judge others. There is only one God who can judge us.
Third, because you don't know the other person enough. Not only do we not know well what happened yesterday, we do not know what will happen tomorrow. I wouldn't dare to rate a book that hasn't been published yet. You can't judge an unfinished picture. If God's work has not been completed, how can we evaluate a soul? So we have to be careful. Who knew that Peter, who denied Jesus by the bonfire, would receive the fire of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and become a great apostle? Who knew that stuttering Moses would become the leader of a great nation? Therefore, 1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “Judge nothing before the time, until the coming of the Lord.”
Brothers and sisters, we have no right to judge others. However, you can receive the grace of the Lord and live happily in that grace. Therefore, I hope that you will stop judging others and live a life of thanksgiving in grace.