The verse, “Judge not”, may be the most recognized verse in the Bible today. Our culture recoils at the idea of judgment. And yet it’s impossible to live as a human being in the absence of all judgment. We are all evaluating one another, all the time, though we may each have different standards for doing so. And in the end, our hearts cry out for judgment. We long for judgment against injustice and evil, and for good and right to triumph in the end. Without righteous judgment, justice is sacrificed to power. And we also long for judgment because our hearts long for meaning. Without any standard for what makes a human life good or evil, it makes no difference whether we live a life of love and service or of oppressing and abusing others. The good news is that Jesus not only brings righteous judgment, one which all people will one day see is just and right, but he has also taken the ultimate judgment in our place to all who will freely receive it.
Lent season is upon us! Use this time to reflect on what Jesus has done for us.
