Thought for Today
Genesis 16:5 . . . May the LORD judge between you and me!"
Psalm 50:3 Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him. 4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
Proverbs 31:9 Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;
Romans 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.
“κρίνω . . . from a basic meaning divide out or separate off; (1) as making a personal evaluation think of as better, prefer; (2) as forming a personal opinion evaluate, think, judge;” (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon)
Even if you are not a fan of country or western music, I hope you took the time to read at least one of the many tributes to Dolly Parton. If you did, you know that she was a living example of the adage, “Never judge a book by its cover.”
I am a fan of country and western music. I have long been a fan of some of the music she recorded. As I read those tributes yesterday, I was amazed at how many songs she had written and both music and acting awards she had garnered. I had previously read about some of her charitable endeavors, but I was very moved to hear one of our local television news anchors speak of his having been a recipient of some of those books given by her literacy program, “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a global literacy initiative that mails free, high-quality books monthly to children from birth through age five, regardless of income.” (Copilot Search)
Without digging a little deeper, it was easy to dismiss Dolly Parton as an almost cartoonish caricature of poor, white, Southern culture. The expansive collection of blond wigs, her buxom figure, her accent, makeup and ebullient enthusiasm were so over-the-top that they seemed unbelievable.
But if you read those tributes, or if you listened to songs like Coat of Many Colors, you found a warm, honest, and loving human being who cared about others, who used her God-given talents to help others, and who bravely faced the world and refused to be intimidated by it.
The Bible talks a lot about judging. That Greek word above appears 125-191 times in scripture. The idea of a final judgment may be the least talked about fundamental Christian doctrine, but it is basic to all Christianity throughout Christendom. Of course, that will be God’s judgment, not ours. If the Apostles’ Creed is part of your faith tradition, then you have read and recited, “from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead,” speaking about Jesus, the Christ.
I have mentioned the plaque on my dresser showing the words, “Joshua 24:15 . . . as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." In the part of that verse not on that plaque are the words, “choose this day whom you will serve.” Although a different Greek word is used in that verse in speaking about choosing and choices, making wise and educated choices demands that we judge between options. Those Israelites were challenged to judge between the gods of their ancestors and the God who freed them from slavery.
In chapter 6 of Luke’s gospel, Jesus is speaking to living lives of love, doing good, being merciful and forgiving. Jesus is speaking about our lives in terms of our relationship with God and with each other, of reciprocal love. Later in Luke’s gospel, Jesus sums up the Law and the prophetic writings with, “Luke 10:27 . . . "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
When asked to adjudicate a property dispute, Jesus said, “Luke 12:14 . . .’Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’" Our faith is not to be taken lightly, our faith demands that we love, that we be merciful, that we be generous. Dolly Parton understood. How well do we understand?
Love, choose wisely, trust God,
Pastor Ray