Welcome to the Soil and Roots podcast, digging beneath the surface to uncover the hidden ideas and desires that form us, the church, and the culture. I’m Brian Fisher, and this is episode 126, “Do-It-Yourself Log Removal.”
Soil & Roots exists to encourage us to come together to help solve what theologian Dallas Willard referred to as “The Great Omission.” Though we talk about making disciples, we struggle to do so.
If you don’t think The Great Omission is a problem, consider the number of denominations, sects, schisms, scandals, misbehavior, fears, anxieties, divorces, porn addictions, and nonsense that all too frequently comes from us and modern Christianity.
For the first five seasons, we explored The Great Omission in great detail, including three other problems that drive the lack of genuine discipleship in the modern age.
One of the primary drivers of The Great Omission is a shocking lack of emphasis on the fact that the discipleship journey is one of becoming formed more like Jesus from the inside out. Things like church attendance, doctrine, service, and evangelism are all good things, but ideally, they flow out of a heart that is intentionally growing to speak, act, relate, and love more like Jesus over time.
That premise raises an interesting question. If the point of our spiritual journey is to become more like Jesus, what is Jesus really like? Do we have a clear picture of the person we are supposed to emulate?
Here in Season 6, we’re exploring some perhaps unexpected traits of Jesus.
We’ve talked about his abiding relational security and connection to the Father. We’ve discussed his tendency to be confusing, mysterious, even cryptic. And we’ve explored his relational discernment and shrewdness.
Today, we’re looking at another characteristic of Jesus: Jesus as judge.
The way we normally understand being judgmental, it isn’t exactly a trait that will win us any popularity contests. Now, maybe somebody has told you that they just love it when you judge them. Or maybe you’ve heard that Christians in general really ought to be more judgy.
But I doubt it. Let’s dive in.
Illustration / Anecdote
If you’d like a frank assessment of your talent, one option is to go on a show that Simon Cowell judges. On American Idol, The X-Factor, or Britain’s Got Talent, Simon made a name for himself by the brutal and often witty ways he told contestants precisely what he thought.
He told one singer, “If you had lived 2,000 years ago and sung like that, I think they would have stoned you.” To another, he said, “It was a bit like ordering a hamburger and only getting the bun.” He advised one contestant, “Do you have a singing teacher? Get a lawyer and sue her.” And he told a lifeguard who came to audition as a singer, “If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning.” Ouch.
Or perhaps you’re a budding chef looking for honest feedback. Just participate in a show like Hell’s Kitchen or MasterChef, and Gordon Ramsay won’t hesitate to share his thoughts. He told one aspiring chef, “This fish is so raw, he’s still finding Nemo!” To another, he said, “There’s enough garlic in here to kill every vampire in Europe.” He told one chef, “I wouldn’t trust you running a bath, let alone a restaurant.” And to another, he said, “This lamb is so undercooked, it’s following Mary to school!”
Simon Cowell and Gordon Ramsay certainly have some strong opinions. Somewhat ironically, our culture strongly dislikes it when someone judges us, but the ratings of these types of shows suggest we love it when other people are judged.
A Culture of Judgment
Celebrity chefs and music critics aren’t the only ones sitting in the metaphorical judgment seat. We all constantly judge aspects of our culture. It’s impossible not to. We have to make judgments every day to survive.
According to the dictionary, to ‘judge’ means to form a conclusion about something through careful weighing of evidence; to form an estimate or evaluation; or to hold an opinion, especially a negative opinion.
We have evaluations and opinions on many things. We judge new soda flavors. We judge the service we get at restaurants or the time it takes at a drive-through. We judge the decisions and actions of our neighbors, coworkers, family members, and friends.
In athletics, academics, and entertainment, judges evaluate every competition, from spelling bees to the Academy Awards to the Olympics. We have teachers and professors judging schoolwork assignments, and committees judging the Nobel Prize. Agents and publishers judge book submissions. Drill sergeants judge soldiers at boot camp, and higher officers judge military plans. And, of course, we have an actual judicial system with judges at lower courts, judges at high courts, and judges at the Supreme Court.
Studies show that people form judgments about another person’s trustworthiness, attractiveness, likeability, competence, and aggressiveness within a tenth of a second of meeting them.
A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that a glance at a person’s face for as little as one-thirtieth of a second was sufficient to form a first impression. We often, literally and figuratively, judge a book by its cover.
From Judge Judy to Judge Dredd, judgment pervades all parts of our society. It’s how we rank, categorize, and approve, and it’s also how we aim to administer fairness and justice, at least in theory. We critique and evaluate. We decide on good, better, and best. We determine right and wrong.
So, if judgment is such a pervasive part of our world, how are we as Christians meant to approach it? If we’re trying to be like Jesus, are we supposed to judge? Not to judge? Why is this so unclear, and why does judging get us in so much trouble?
Judging Others
Maybe judging the new Frosty flavor at Wendy’s isn’t what people have in mind when they accuse someone of being judgmental. We all judge, but there’s a particular kind of judging that really tends to rock the boat: judging other people’s character, identity, or even choices.
In Western culture, some people believe there is no single, absolute truth or universal standard of right and wrong. This idea is known as moral relativism. While it’s very popular today, it’s also nonsensical.
From this perspective, it’s a simple step to say that nobody has the right to judge. They might even use a Bible verse to back it up: “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged” (Matthew 7:1).
But here’s the thing: judgment is inescapable. We all judge. In fact, if you claim that judging another is wrong, you’ve passed judgment on another.
And even moral relativists have a moral center. If you steal their car, they’re still going to think it’s wrong. Nobody actually lives by moral relativism – it’s impossible.
Everybody operates with some sort of moral center, but the question is whether the underlying ideas that inform our moral positions make sense, – do they align with God’s ideas or not. Are our ideas about morality from the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness?
Our approach to judging and our response to being judged both stem from our ideas and desires, which sit in the bedrock of our hearts. These ideas typically go unexamined and unexplored – we’ve talked about these ideas for three years here at Soil & Roots. When we judge others and react to being judged, it often reveals signs about the ideas that our hearts are rooted in, whether we’re aware of them or not. This might be insecurity, a desire to be liked, a need to prove ourselves, or a thousand other things.
For example, if I receive an email from a supervisor who assesses my work performance and finds it lacking, and I have an emotional meltdown, something is going on beneath the surface.
If I passed up a family reunion to complete my work, then maybe I feel unappreciated. Maybe I feel injustice at this judgment, when I’ve been working my tail off for months to gain this supervisor’s approval of my work. Going deeper, it may reveal a deep-seated desire for validation. Perhaps I was raised in a family where I learned to be performance-driven, trying to please others. Perhaps my identity is intertwined with my work and receiving the stamp of approval, so this email, which judges my work, feels like it’s actually judging me and my worth as a person.
That is all hypothetical, but you get the idea. If we are hypersensitive to criticism, it shows a wound or insecurity in that area, which we can work to heal with the help of friends, self-examination, and the Lord’s guidance.
And if we are quick to judge others in a certain way, it can indicate a similar struggle, shortcoming, weakness, or prejudice in our own hearts, and we can work through it with the same level of transparency and openness to change.
The goal is for our hearts to be transformed to be like Christ’s, and for our hidden ideas to be formed into his. This means we can and should learn to judge like He does.
Do Not Judge?
The most quoted Bible verse related to judgment is the one I referenced, Matthew 7:1: “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.”
But as you read on, Jesus says, “For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First, take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
First, Jesus begins with a seemingly blanket statement: “Do not judge.” However, he then provides instructions on how to judge.
Paul Copan, in an article in the Apologetics Study Bible, writes:
How do we resolve the apparent tension? By taking note of the spirit in which we make judgments. Do we think we’re superior, which is the attitude Jesus condemned, or are we assessing actions or attitudes with a spirit of humility and concern, recognizing our own weaknesses? In Matthew 7:5, Jesus told us first to examine ourselves, then we can help our brother or sister. So there is a problem to be dealt with—but only after self-examination.
Looking Inward
We don’t typically link ‘judgment’ with ‘self-examination,’ but there is a clear progression here. We are to help our brother remove the splinter in his eye, but only after we remove the log in our own. The Bible doesn’t say to leave both pieces of wood where they are. The goal is not for each of us to insist that we are right, to agree to disagree, and to part ways with nothing fundamentally changed. The goal is for both obstructions to be removed so that we can both see clearly.
Here again, we find the idea of being authentic with ourselves and with others – something that many struggle with because we would rather present our false selves.
Imagine you go to an optometrist to have your eyes examined, but the eye doctor comes out with a blindfold on. You’d be pretty skeptical of her ability to evaluate your eyes. An eye doctor needs to see clearly so that you can see clearly.
We’ve been talking about ‘discernment’ lately, as with Jesus’s remarkable relational discernment. Discernment requires clear sight. It involves incredible perception, an ability to see beyond the surface, starting with ourselves.
Season 2 covered this in detail – the concept of heartview. As a quick recap, heartview is the practice of paying attention to the signals that the heart gives, through what we call our eight indicators. These eight indicators are: thoughts, emotions, health, actions, relationships, words, and how we use time and money.
Each of these indicators reveals what’s going on in our hearts, provided we accept Jesus’ invitation to explore our true ideas and desires, and our stories, with trusted friends. We sometimes call it “mining” for our own desires and ideas, in the sense of digging deep until the truth, a kind of treasure, is found… possibly far below the surface.
Many people don’t know their hearts very well, and we don’t receive a lot of encouragement to dig into their depths.
Modern Christianity might give us phrases like “just give it to God” or “nail it to the cross,” but is less likely to give us permission or guidance for the long, messy, complicated work of digging into our stories, our wounds, and our hearts to bring to light the ideas that are at work there. Only when we do this can we discover what we truly believe about ourselves, what we truly believe about God, and whether our ideas align with God’s ideas.
Paul Copan goes on to say, “The wrong kind of judging is condemning. The right kind of judging is properly evaluating moral or doctrinal matters with a humble, helpful attitude. We should treat others the way we would want to be treated, thinking, There—but for the grace of God—go I.”
Humility comes more naturally when we take the time to truly explore our own hearts. None of us will find perfection there. We all carry wounds, hurts, and sorrows.
When we look honestly at our true ideas and desires, we realize just how much we depend on the grace of God.
When Heartview is an ongoing practice and habit, a regular part of our lives and our apprenticeship with Jesus, we will develop a spirit of humility and compassion for others. Then, when we see a brother or sister in need of help or correction, we are more likely to act as Jesus would, trusting the Holy Spirit for guidance and following Christ’s example. In some cases, this may mean a rebuke. But in most situations, it means gentleness, kindness, and thoughtfulness.
How Then Should We Judge?
The folks over at the Bible Project have some great resources on this topic. In their podcast episode from July 29, 2024, titled “Is There Ever a Time to Judge Others?”, Jon Collins and Tim Mackie note that Jesus begins with the command not to judge, but then turns around and says how we should judge, but only in certain ways and circumstances. There is nuance and complexity.
Jon and Tim note we may well get it wrong if we try to determine someone else’s motives, when we likely struggle to even determine our own. We think we are evaluating other people’s behavior in a fair, equitable, unbiased way. But what if we turned it around and used the same measure on our own behavior? Are we treating others with the kindness and generosity we use to evaluate ourselves?
They point out: “Jesus cares very much about right relationships. He also is very tolerant of ambiguity and of the mixed nature of the human heart and therefore the mixed nature of his community of disciples. He was kind to Judas until the very end. He never treated him unkindly, even when he knew.”
Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy is also helpful here. Willard writes:
“If we would really help those close to us and dear, and if we would learn to live together with our family and ‘neighbors’ in the power of the kingdom, we must abandon the deeply rooted human practice of condemning and blaming.”
Willard observes that people do sometimes need correction, but that we can evaluate and act without condemnation or the contempt and anger that so often accompany it, which bring feelings of rejection, shame, and retaliation.
Judging According to the Heart
As I noted at the start, judgment is all around us and a necessary part of life. You can’t function in society without it. We must all judge the words and actions of the people around us—not just our neighbors and coworkers, but also our family members, friends, and leaders in government and elsewhere. We have to make decisions for the good of ourselves, those we care for, and the Kingdom itself. We are obligated to judge and act accordingly.
How attuned are we to God, to ourselves, and to the hearts of others as we judge?
Jesus was constantly making judgments according to the heart. He was perfectly attuned to his own heart, to the heart of the Father, and to the hearts of those around him. To be like him, we put in the effort to mine our own ideas through heartview and ensure they align with God’s ideas.
We learn to listen, truly listen, to what the hearts of others are revealing through their heartview indicators. And we ask ourselves, are we truly putting others first even as we judge them? Are we acting for their own good and our own good?
We therefore judge with righteous judgment, not based on appearances. We look beyond the surface. We use discernment, shrewdness, and attunement to hearts to judge according to the heart.
My friend Tim, or Doc as we call him around here, shares this:
“One of the hardest parts of parenting a teenager has been helping him to judge right or wrong, safe or not safe, good or bad. Things seem black and white as a kid, but as you become an adult, the world is all kinds of grey. When our oldest son knows other teens facing abuse or trauma, or with allegations against them, or issues with harmful substances, how to judge? How to best serve himself and them? Should he cut ties or be salt and light? Who to believe? Which side to take? And my wife and I have to judge and take action as parents for our child’s well-being and formation—we cannot simply throw up our hands and tell him to do whatever he wants and everyone else can, too, because we’re not going to judge. So we are trying to train our son to look below the surface and to be attuned to his own heart and the hearts of others. It requires patience. It requires discernment. And it requires compassion, to treat others as we would hope to be treated ourselves.”
Wrap-up
In the real world, we can’t escape judgment. We will all be judged, and we all judge others.
As we judge others, we should guard against condemnation and contempt. This is judgment with an attitude of superiority and anger that leads to rejection, shame, and retaliation from the person being judged. Judging can be damaging and harmful. It can distance people from God rather than draw them nearer. It can drive a wedge or close doors.
We examine our hearts and ensure we are judging with the right motives, for their own good and for ours. The right kind of judging is actually a very loving thing to do.
We practice heart listening. We consider our relationship with the other person and look carefully at the context and circumstances. We demonstrate relational discernment and compassion by putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes and seeing the situation from their perspective.
We ask ourselves, do we just want to prove ourselves right? Or are we trying to protect ourselves or someone we love? Are we trying to build the right relationship that will bring someone closer to Jesus?
Meanwhile, are we digging up and exposing the false ideas in our soil? Are we basing our action on ideas of the Kingdom? Are we learning from the Master and apprenticing with him in all things?
Logs can build homes to shelter us, fires to warm us, and bridges to connect us. But we have to take them out of our eyes first.
Thanks for being with me today.
