Why Do We Judge?

 

 

Why do we judge

As though we are the all-knowing

And convict and condemn

And make a public showing?

 

Even the Father judges no one

But gives all judgement to the Son,

Why do we therefore judge

When we too are undone?

 

How do we pass judgment

On another like we are

And feel smug and accomplished

Like no one comes on par?

 

The Pharisees were culpable

Yet passed their own judgement

And when confronted by Jesus

Saw no need to repent.

 

 

They constantly accused Jesus

And convicted him for doing good

Citing the Sabbath day law

As any Jewish lawyer would.

 

The evidence was accessible

Regarding who was the Law-maker

But hatred blinded their eyes

And they did not see the Saviour.

 

They thought they knew it all

Hence, the reason why they judged

And once they made a decision

No one could get them budge.

 

Their decisions, mostly faulty,

Were in their own self-interest

So, when Jesus arrived on the scene,

The temple was a mess.

 

 

He once overthrew their tables

And issued a severe reprimand,

The temple was a house of prayer

But they had a different plan.

 

Open our eyes, we should

And assess all that is going on,

Justice we should call for

But it’s not ours to perform.

 

Jesus is the only judge

Tempering judgement with mercy,

Giving us what we don’t deserve

After finding us guilty.

 

He now judges us not guilty

Having declared us to be such

And as the Saviour and the Judge

No one can do as much.

 

 

There is no need to walk around

Accusing and judging others,

Leave the judging to the Son

And let that not be our bother.

 

Quite a lot is on our plate,

There’s much with which to contend,

We need not make a weightier list

By tacking judging on the end.

 

Stewart Russell © June 2020