A question was raised during a sermon by Bethel pastor, Eric Johnson, that caused me to squirm a little. It simply hit a little too close to home. The question was, “When you notice sin in another person, does it provoke you to judgment or compassion?” I felt a distinct, “Ouch! That hurt!” inside of me.
I thought I’d been learning a lot about responding with compassion rather than judgment. Realizing how rich God’s mercy is toward me has increased my desire to extend mercy to others. Repeatedly, I’ve had to repent of a judgmental spirit. My heart feels deeply the wounds that spirit has inflicted upon others. So, I thought I’d come a long way toward a more compassionate response to others’ sin and shortcomings. But still, that question burned its way into my soul.
I had once heartily embraced the idea that many times the most loving thing we can do is show someone their sin. I knew well the proverbial story about a house on fire, the most loving action and how all that translated into a justification for my judgmental attitude. I knew all the verses that supported my responsibility to judge. But, after an encounter with the passionate love of Father God, I came to see how wrong I was and began a journey toward a more Christlike response. And then, that question was asked….judgment or compassion?
From the moment it was asked, the Holy Spirit made me fully aware of what my answer is….and I do not like it. It seemed everywhere I looked, it surfaced….judgment. “Oh, God!”, I cried out in my heart, “I do not want judgment to be my default response.” I can feel the tears threatening to surface as I write these words….tears of sorrow….tears of repentance….tears of longing. I had come face to face again with the realization of the distance between my heart and the heart of Jesus, between His response and mine.
Jesus response when confronted with sin and unrepentant sinners was compassion, not judgment. In John 8:1-12, we find a well-known story of a woman caught in the act of adultery. We find no evidence of sorrow….no desire for change….no inclination toward repentance. She was brought by religious leaders who knew well they had a right to stone her….judgment was the appropriate, even necessary, response. But Jesus did not respond that way. He extended compassion. In this scene, He effectively removes men from the seat of judgment and replaces it with another response: compassion. He was an advocate for a prostitute….protecting her from her accusers, who were the religious leaders of the day. And, he never brought up her sin in the presence of her accusers. He didn’t mention it until they were gone! Jesus so advocated for sinners, associated with them, protected them….that He was accused of being one of them!
Later, as I thought on that story, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind a “What If?”. What if someone tried to trap me, like they tried to trap Jesus? What if they brought to me someone living a sinful lifestyle….with no desire to change….no sorrow for their sin….no inclination toward repentance? What if they issued the same challenge Jesus was issued? Would I respond as He did? Would I join them in throwing stones? Or, would I extend compassion. Would I be willing to be an advocate, protecting from accusation and judgment? Or would I believe it my responsibility to join the accusers? The Holy Spirit asked me the question Eric posed in his sermon, “Judgment or compassion?”
Once I put that Bible story into a modern day possibility, I was confronted with the reality that I probably would have responded more like the religious leaders than Jesus. My default response would be judgment. Oh, how I hate to say that! Jesus did bring up her sin….AFTER He extended compassion…and AFTER her accusers were gone. And, then, when He did, he addressed her sin in a way that showed no condemnation or judgment, but rather belief and confidence that she could indeed, “Go and sin no more.” Even in the method in which He addressed her sin, He was compassionate.
I have cast far too many stones when I should have been covering and protecting. People will always run AWAY from those throwing stones, not TOWARD them. As long as the church is throwing stones at the world, they will run away. They will not step foot inside our doors until we learn to extend compassion rather than judgment.
I have taken the role of accuser far more often than that of advocate. I have feared guilt by association too much. Accusers do not bring many souls into the kingdom….but advocates do. Judgment has never brought anyone into an intimate relationship with their Heavenly Father. It may make them pray a prayer….but it only ushers them into a religion, not a relationship. Compassion, on the other hand, has brought others into that relationship.
Judgment or compassion? I choose compassion. I desire that my default mode be compassion rather than judgment. It starts in the comfort of my own home…when I read of the president’s latest assault on our freedom…..when I hear of a religious leader’s sin…..when I read something on facebook that “needs” a response…..when I am listening to another pour out their frustrations with someone….when I see a child throwing a tantrum in the store….when the mother responds with hate….when I see a teenager dressed in a style that shows obvious rebellion….when I learn of someone’s abortion, divorce, or failure. May my response be praying rather than pointing; covering rather than exposing; advocating rather than accusing; compassion rather than judgment.
When you are notice sin in another person’s life, does it provoke you to judgment or compassion?