“Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matt. 7:1) If you have ever been on the receiving end of someone’s untrue or unkind judgment, then you’ll understand why Jesus gave this command. It is our old human nature to trample others down, to believe the worst, and to rejoice in their pain. That is one reason we must be ‘born again’ to enter the kingdom of God. Only the Lord can change our hearts to reflect the kindness, respect, and tenderness of heaven.
The vengeful side of our humanity became clear to me at an early age. For some unknown reason (insert sarcasm), I was in trouble as a young lad. Mom had obviously given me the final warning. She said, “That’s it!” Then she instructed my sister, Cathy, to go and get a switch from the bush on the side of the house.
Well, my sister knew very well what was about to happen. So, in the way only an older sister could do, she sashayed to the ‘switch bush’ and began gleefully selecting the weapon that Mom would use to collect my attention and recapture my obedience. Cathy returned into the house like she had just won the world championship ‘hop-scotch’ tournament. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, she handed to Mom what looked like to me to be a piece of pulpwood. She had found a way to inflict pain on me for the many things I had done against her.
As you would know, the ‘pulpwood’ stick did its job. However, what could not be seen was the fact that I knew my turn to select her weapon of discipline would arrive soon. Sure enough, within a week, Cathy pressed her luck to the edge, and Mom said, “Terry, go get a switch.” I knew it was for my sister, and I quickly remembered her action against me. I felt like I had won the lottery and that the stars had aligned perfectly for social justice. I walked with the confidence of a gladiator to the side of the house. The selection was up to me.
I chose a switch that was very long and limber and de-leafed it so it would have little ‘thorns’ on its entire length. That way, it would continue to wrap around her legs after the initial contact and strike like a water moccasin in several places for each swing. My judgment had worked. Cathy learned to ‘square dance’ and do ‘the twist’ without any lessons as Mom wielded the weapon with trained precision.
Looking back, I feel sad about that day. Cathy got the bad end of the deal, and it was because of my vengeance and judgment. My payback had caused more considerable pain to her than I experienced the week earlier. That is what is wrong with relationships these days. People go back and forth using their preferred stick to hurt one another, and the drama continues.
Jesus knew this, and He wants to take the condemnation out of our hands. After all, He is the only one qualified for that task. Let us look to the Cross, yield to the Holy Spirit, and learn to… Drop the Stick!
