“Wait For The Impartial Judge!”

“Wait For The Impartial Judge!”(Rom.2:1-11).
A prelate visited a prison and saw a youngster who was imprisoned for theft. While speaking with the youngster, the prelate tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Take heart my son. We are all criminals. Just that we have not been caught.”
A challenging question posed in religion is, “Is it evil because it is punished or is it punished because it is evil?”
If something is evil because it is punished, this gives a wide opening for people to perpetuate evil as long as they can cover their tracks.
On the other hand, if it is punished because it is evil, then the prelate was right to indict all of us who are roaming the streets, while condemning the unfortunate few who are in prison. And we know that some people are in prison for crimes they did not commit. Some are in prison who were intentionally framed up to become scapegoats as a cover-up for the real culprits.
Evil is evil; whether it is punished or not. People are judged and found guilty when they default on the law that has been laid down for all. It is agreed that nobody is above the law, but that is not what is practiced. The high and mighty who enforce the law are most times worst criminals than those who are condemned.
We cannot go to equity without clean hands. Most times we are keen to look at the speck of sawdust in our brothers’ eyes without paying attention to the planks in our own eyes. To us our Lord Jesus Christ asks the question, “How can you tell your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”(Mt.7:3-5).
When we pray to God for mercy, that same prayer should teach us to be merciful. When we learn to be merciful, we cease from being judgmental.
Paul says there is no excuse for those “who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things…”
God’s judgment against wrongdoing is based on truth. When mere human beings pass judgment on others, and yet do the same things, they cannot escape God’s judgment. Judging others is showing contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance and patience.
We must realize that God’s kindness leads to repentance. We should not spend time judging and condemning others, whether through character assasinations and rumour mongering, or in outright stiff execution of justice.
Mercy stands above justice and in this life everything is measure for measure. We are going to receive everything as much as we gave whether good or bad. “God will give to each person according to what he has done.”
Spend time working on self to improve in chracter, attitude, thought, word and deed bearing in mind that on the day of the LORD there will be “glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good…” irrespective of tribe, colour or race. “For God does not show favouritism.”
Prayer: Lord make me an instrument of grace and mercy to others in the same measure I have received from you. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.