He Just Didn't

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:17

In our never-ending quest to become more Christ-like, it's this very thing that seems to be the hardest for everyone. Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but the very thing that most of us are guilty of doing is condemning one another without thought. Everyone is a critic these days, and it seems that most people completely take this idea to heart and think it is their business to judge those around them. I can easily say this because I know I do this too, and it's probably one of the most difficult behaviors to stop.

But I am trying. And apparently, the people around during Jesus' time also had this very problem.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." Matthew 7:1

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it." John 12:47

Think about it. Think about as you're out enjoying your weekend, let's say you and your family are going to the zoo for the day. As you're walking around, you see all kinds of people... you see the mom with eight kids in tow, and all the kids are all over, and instead of having compassion for this woman who is caring for 8 kids- who you don't even know if they're all her children- you look and you think to yourself that if she's going to have that many children, she should learn to control them better. Or you see the man just outside the entrance door smoking, and you simply think that he should do better and quit, yet you have no idea how much that addiction has a hold on him and how many times he's tried quitting... his brother died from lung cancer, yet he just cannot stop the bad habit, and on the inside he's full of pain and hurt and so desperately wishes for deliverance. And our thought as we walk by is about how much we prefer to breathe clean air. Or you see those kids whose hair obviously hasn't been brushed, wearing mis-matched clothes, and you think that their mother could certainly manage to do that much before taking the kids someplace. What you don't know is that those kids are actually with their aunt, who saved them this particular morning by picking them up and taking them to do something fun instead of watching their alcoholic mom sleep the day away.

We just don't know what's going on on the other side of those eyes. And when I stop and catch myself, as I walk around someplace and see all these people, I can't help but think about what it was like for Jesus as he walked around. I know, with absolute certainty, that He didn't walk around looking at people with scorn, criticising everything about them. He just didn't. Instead, He let compassion reign supreme. He looked with his heart, and he saw the pain and the hurt and the troubles, and instead of thinking superior thoughts, you know he prayed for them.You just know that instead of judging he blessed.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," Romans 8:1

There is no condemnation at all. Now think about applying that to your church family. Think about how much more unified the church would be as a whole if we started acting more like Jesus and looked on one another with love, instead of looking and thinking that we're the ones who have it all together, and they could do better. I think we should look on the inside, and see where we could improve ourselves. Now, we're not to condemn ourselves either, but we can take a look and see where we could do better. I suspect we all have those places where we could do better. God loves each and every one of us, not just those who seem important. And God loves us all so much, each and every one of us is His Favorite. Now that's just cool, and I think if we can apply that to our church family... think about it. From childhood we are encouraged to choose favorites, what's your favorite color, favorite book, favorite TV show, favorite friend. What if we walked into church and looked and saw all our fellow believers, and instead of seeking out our usual friends or usual "favorite people" we looked and saw each and every individual as God's favorites?