Compare, evaluate and judge

605 compare evaluate and judgeWe live in a world that lives primarily according to the motto: "We are good and the others are all bad". Every day we hear of groups shouting against other people for political, religious, racial or socio-economic reasons. Social media seem to be making this worse. Our opinions can be made available to thousands more than we would like long before we have the opportunity to reconsider and respond to the words. Never before has the different groups been able to shout at each other so quickly and loudly.

Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector who pray in the temple: "Two people went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector" (Luke 18,10). It is the classic parable about "we and the others". The Pharisee proudly declares: «I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, robbers, unrighteous people, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and tithe everything I take. The tax collector, however, stood far away and did not want to lift his eyes to heaven, but struck his breast and said: God, be merciful to me sinner! " (Luke 18,11-13).

Here Jesus describes the unsurpassable "we against the others" scenario of his time. The Pharisee is educated, clean, and pious, and doing what is right in his eyes. He seems to be the "we" type that one would like to invite to parties and celebrations and that one dreams of being married to the daughter. The tax collector, on the other hand, is one of the "others", he collected taxes from his own people for the occupying power of Rome and was hated. But Jesus ends his story with the phrase: «I tell you: this tax collector went down to his house justified, not that one. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted »(Luke 18,14). The result shocked his audience. How could this person, the obvious sinner here, be the justified? Jesus loves to uncover what is going on deep inside. With Jesus there are no "we and the others" comparisons. The Pharisee is a sinner as well as the tax collector. His sins are less obvious and since others cannot see them, it is easy to point the finger at "the other".

While the Pharisee in this story is unwilling to admit his self-righteousness, sinfulness and pride, the tax collector realizes his guilt. But the fact is, we have all failed and we all need the same healer. «But I am speaking of righteousness before God, which comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no difference here: they are all sinners and lack the glory that they are supposed to have before God, and are justified without merit by his grace through the redemption that came about through Christ Jesus »(Romans 3,22-24).

Healing and sanctification come through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, that is, who agree with Jesus on this matter and thereby allow him to live in him. It's not about "we against the others", it's just about all of us. It is not our job to judge other people. It is enough to understand that we all need salvation. We are all recipients of God's mercy. We all have the same savior. When we ask God to help us see others as He sees them, we quickly understand that in Jesus there is no us and others, only us. The Holy Spirit enables us to understand this.

from Greg Williams