We can live secluded from all people and still be judged by others for living a secluded life. We must be crazy. We are judged for talking too much or not enough.  We are judged for wearing clothes or cutting our hair that is the same as others but different to some.  We are judged for how manage our finances.  We are judged for how we pray, what we say, and where we go to worship with others.  We are judged for what vehicle we purchase.  We are judged for judging others.  We all judge something or someone every day.  Judging, assuming, and presuming are sinful acts of being misunderstood with attitudes of rebellion, refusing to examine the evidence of that reveals the real truth of who we are. 

Jesus, Son of God, the One and Only without sin, qualified to judge and condemn—did not.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Jesus provides all the evidence needed as He demonstrates God’s love daily in His words and actions while on earth.  The evidence of God’s love in His Son is expressed in every way possible as Jesus related to all people.  What Jesus did was for the good of people.  He did not add to their oppression under Roman rule and from arrogant religious leaders, but came to set people free from the inside out!  Jesus knew the Father for they were One so He knew it was never God’s desire for anyone to perish for their sins or the sins of others.  God’s true, relentless desire is for all the people He created to love Him back. 

But, Jesus was judged as a crazy man for calling God His Father, quoting and fulfilling scripture while providing evidence of proof of God’s unconditional love, compassionate mercy and unending grace embodied in Him. 

John 10, The Message

^22-24 They were celebrating Hanukkah just then in Jerusalem. It was winter. Jesus was strolling in the Temple across Solomon’s Porch. The Jews, circling him, said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you’re the Messiah, tell us straight out.”

^25-30 Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.”

^31-32 Again the Jews picked up rocks to throw at him. Jesus said, “I have made a present to you from the Father of a great many good actions. For which of these acts do you stone me?”

³³ The Jews said, “We’re not stoning you for anything good you did, but for what you said—this blasphemy of calling yourself God.”

^34-38 Jesus said, “I’m only quoting your inspired Scriptures, where God said, ‘I tell you—you are gods.’ If God called your ancestors ‘gods’—and Scripture doesn’t lie—why do you yell, ‘Blasphemer! Blasphemer!’ at the unique One the Father consecrated and sent into the world, just because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I don’t do the things my Father does, well and good; don’t believe me. But if I am doing them, put aside for a moment what you hear me say about myself and just take the evidence of the actions that are right before your eyes. Then perhaps things will come together for you, and you’ll see that not only are we doing the same thing, we are the same—Father and Son. He is in me; I am in him.”

^39-42 They tried yet again to arrest him, but he slipped through their fingers. He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and stayed there. A lot of people followed him over. They were saying, “John did no miracles, but everything he said about this man has come true.” Many believed in him then and there.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus revealed to the Jewish leaders why they did not understand His words or grasp the significance of His works: They were not His sheep. From the human standpoint, we become His sheep by believing, but from the divine standpoint, we believe because we are His sheep. There is a mystery here that we cannot fathom or explain, but we can accept it and rejoice. God has His sheep and He knows who they are. They will hear His voice and respond.

Paul writes of this mystery—

“Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God?
Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
Anyone who has done him such a huge favor
    that God has to ask his advice?

Everything comes from him;
Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him.
Always glory! Always praise!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

Romans 11:33-36, MSG

Jesus told His disciple Thomas, who needed to see Jesus alive and well and invited to touch his nailscarred wounds in His Body before believing, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Jesus is talking about you and me!  Do we really believe who Jesus was and He did for us really real?  The evidence of what we truly believe will be demonstrated in how we live every hour of every day of our lives. 

No, we are not perfect.  It is not possible as a human to live in an imperfect world; but we are perfectly forgiven by the One who became sin for us to make us holy.  God made the Way.  “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.  This “mystery” of reconciliation is provided by a God who sent His One and Only Son to redeem us from the Destroyer who provides many temptations to sin. Some times we fall for it, most times we see evil for what it is as His deception deeds masquerade and dance around us as good for us. 

God gave us His Holy Spirit with His power.  With the Help of God’s Holy Spirit living in us, we have the power to overcome evil.  Lean into the wisdom of His Spirit.  He helps us guard our hearts.  Tap into the Power that is available to all when we need it most!  There is power in the Name of Jesus!  Demons hate it when we fall on our knees in worship, crying out to God in Jesus Name—and they leave!

The message to all who believe—

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27, NIV

“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 It is the effectual love of God that first changes our hearts in order to make us capable of love, and it is His example of love that reminds us again and again of our need to love other people.

To “judge not,” as God’s Word tells us, is a behavior we need to lose to gain Christ.  Only Jesus has the authority and right to judge but He chooses to love and forgive.  So, as we progress in God’s love, by His power in us, we can begin by judging less and loving more.  The more we love like God loves us the less we judge.

Lord,

I repent of the judgement flaw that plagues me.  Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my soul, and restore the joy of your salvation at work with me that sets me free. 

In Jesus Name, Amen