No! Contrary to popular teaching by today's Scribes and Pharasese - the "Church" - Judging is not forbidden, it is Jesus greatest requirement of us if we are to follow him:
* "Love as I have loved."
* "Do unto others all that you would have them do unto you."
* "They will know you by how you love one another."
These are NOTHING if not exhortations to scrupulously judge/evaluate ourselves and others.
YES, WE MUST NEVER "JUDGE" IN THE WAY OF PLACING OURSELVES OR OTHERS ABOVE OR BELOW OURSELVES OR OTHERS! But as the MD (Dr.) must "diagnose/judge" the condition of the patient, the disciple of Jesus must judge matters of the Spirit/Soul as a absolute requisite to service. Come on now, let's stop the idiotic, heretical disparagement of all "judging."
The hardest thing I do as a would-be disciple of Jesus is my attempts to adhere to this requirement - this necessary task of Judging. It would have been so much easier in so many ways to avoid judging my own life and how best I could serve and to:
* Stay in my half million dollar house.
* Keep my 20 year career.
* Be a "normal" father.
* Be a "normal" person.
* Stay with my wonderful adopted family in West Chester.
* Keep my comfortable management job.
* Stay with my new Washington DC adopted community....
"If you do not hate family... you cannot love me."
The "good" is the enemy of the "great."
There is no success on my journey of discipleship that has come without my adherence to this requirement to JUDGE. It is way hard. It is indispensable. Want to be "Christian?" JUDGE yourself and others with TOUGH LOVE.
hi jay
ReplyDeleteDear Jay,
ReplyDeleteI understand that our family and environment had too many distractions from what you are trying to do.
But, I remember when you spoke of your brief return to DC and the caring response from the community you received.
I remember more recently you told me that you were home.
I guess I wonder why God would want you to hate them because it seems that from their love and kindness, you and they mave have grown more able to do His will and love Him.
Love,
mary rachel
Hey sweetie! Oh my gosh, I miss you all so much.
ReplyDeleteAs to your post - What?!?!!?!?!? Hey, I'm just quoting what He said. DON'T BLAME ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
Do you think I hate someone? Oh I pray God you do not think so.
What I think Jesus was telling us with that troubling statement (among His worst phrased/worst translated) is NOT to literally "hate" anyone, ever! NO!!!! NEVER!!!!!!! Clearly, however, what he was telling us is that the more we follow what He taught, the more the world will make us choose. Primarily this happens as others, who we love, chose NOT to go down the same path. What then? We must chose: continue on the path; or stay with those who will not, or can not follow. Staying the path will literally tear us appart from many whom we love. This is what he was trying to address with this dreadful statement.
Personally, I think Jesus could have done much better than the phrase He selected about "hating." :-) What would better express His idea would have been - "You are going to have to an extreme, extreme amount Love, Joy, Peace and Life on my Path because walking it is not what most of those you currently know are going to choose to do!" It will tear you appart - literally and emotionally. This is what I find to be true.
I miss you all a lot.
Love forever, brother jay
ps: See you guys soon?
MR dear,
ReplyDeleteMaybe I reacted in too worried a fashion. Were you wondering about my leaving Thomas/Ellen/Connie...?
In my response above I spoke of one of the ways that the "Path" tears us appart.
For how many seconds can my heart stop without my Life coming to an end? Not many. For how many minutes can I stop doing His Will, Waging Total Love, being as perfect a Sacrifice as I can be - before my Life comes to an end? Not many.
Life is not given to me for my personal use, but to do our Father's will. He has wanted me here contributing to Thomas, I sense, to strengthen His Kingdom. But after a much longer time than I anticipated, my work here is coming to end. This will no longer be the "front lines" for me. He will call me to where that is - in front of the White House for Darfur, in Prison for Darfur or to end the Iraq War... something like that.
Three environments in my life I have not felt like a complete alien on this planet - with my Dad, with the Austin Clan, and here at the Peace House.
:-) :-) :-) being in dialog with you. :-) :-) :-)