Today's Scripture Reading (March 4, 2021): Romans 2
In
his "Battles in the Desert and Other Stories," Mexican author Jose
Emilio Pacheo comments that "We are all hypocrites. We
cannot see ourselves or judge ourselves the way we see and judge others."
There is truth in his words that we don't want to hear, yet we need to be told.
The truth is this; those things that bother us in other people, the very things
that we condemn in those around us, are often the same thing with which we are
struggling, whether we realize it or not. An adage argues that if a preacher frequently
speaks on one particular topic, it might be that issue with which he or she is
struggling. As I look back at the things that are important to me as I write
and speak, I see a message of community and love that are frequently a part of
my focus. So, as an acknowledged introvert, it might be precisely those things
about which I am struggling. Maybe you see something else, in yourself or me.
The
result is that we are all hypocrites. The very sins which we condemn in others
are sometimes the very ones that make us feel guilty. But even if that is not
true, we suffer under variations of the theme, which is actually Paul's point.
None of us are perfect; we all have some area where we are struggling. We all
have some space in our lives where we fail. The Gentiles in Paul's audience had
a vulnerability to certain types of sin. Paul outlines some of these sins in
Romans 1, although he definitely does not cover all of the possibilities. He is
about to speak to the Jews about their sins. But the common thread is that both
groups have a vulnerability to some kind of sin. They both want to judge the
other for the wrong that they see in others while committing that sin or
another themselves. And that is a problem.
But
more than that, Paul argues that the fact that they judge meant that they
understood God's laws and what the presence of these laws might mean in their
lives. The proof that they understood the law was found in their judgment of
their neighbors. Theologian John Murray puts it this way. "Since you know the justice
of God, as evidenced by the fact that you are judging others, you are without
an excuse, because in the very act of judging you have condemned yourself."
The fact that we are willing to judge others means that we are not ignorant of God's
laws. And yet, we still sin.
Jesus acknowledged this fact with a hint of humor in the
Sermon on Mount.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For
in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you
use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in
your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How
can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all
the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the
plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck
from your brother's eye (Matthew 7:1-5).
You
know what sin is because you can recognize it in others. But rather than judging
your neighbor, why do you not focus that knowledge on yourself, making you a
better person. Why do you not react with empathy and understanding to your
neighbor who sins because their failures are a reflection of your own? Maybe
instead of judging, we need to commit to overcome our personal sin, with each
supporting the other in the undertaking.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Romans 3
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