A popular American author/pastor name Rob Bell recently released a book entitled Love Wins: A Book about Heaven and Hell and the Fate of Every Person who Ever Lived. Even before the book was released there was a firestorm of controversy surrounding the book. An editor from Crossway Books named Justin Taylor released a scathing critique of the book after he had read a few chapters. Taylor also critiqued the promotional video that preceded Bell's book. Upon reading Taylor's review a popular Reformed pastor named John Piper Tweeted one statement which read "Farewell Rob Bell." Interestingly, this Tweet created another round of controversy surrounding the book. Many speculated, and I think fairly, that John Piper was stating that Rob Bell had departed from the bounds of Orthodox Christianity by hinting that hell was not a place and that the love of God would not allow people be punished there eternally. But there was an uprising against John Piper for his Tweet. The criticism that Rob Bell was experiencing, in some circles, was equaled by the criticism that John Piper received. Throughout this controversy there was one quote that intrigued me. In a short response to John Piper's Tweet, a random woman wrote to John Piper "Who are you to judge?" Who are you to judge??? This is an extremely popular sentiment in our day. We hear this all the time. "He's so judgmental". "Every time I go there I feel like I'm being judged." When we're feeling really spiritual we quote Jesus and say "judge not lest ye be judged." We believe that everyone else is so judgmental but we almost never say to anyone "you're so judgmental". We announce behind their back that "they're being so judgmental".
Friends, can we at least see the hypocrisy of the statement itself. To say that someone is "judgmental" is itself a judgment. Judgments are a daily activity. We cannot survive in this world with discerning or making judgments. We're constantly judging whether or not we have enough time to run three errands and still make it to class on time. We're judging whether or not there is enough space to make the left hand turn between the two cars that are approaching. You might object to this line of reasoning because it has nothing to do with judging people. You might still believe that judgment associated with people is wrong. But I assure you that you and I are constantly making judgments concerning people. Should I let my kid hang out with that other kid? I'm going to need to make a judgment about the other kid and my kid in order to make that decision. Should I go out to lunch with my co-worker? I'll need to make judgments to decide this. Is my co-worker the same gender as me or a different gender? Where might my co-worker want to go for lunch? What would my boyfriend say? Can we all agree that judgment, itself, is not negative? Proper judgment of situations and others protects us from danger. Judgment is not the issue. The question is, What is proper judgment? According to the Bible, What are the right and wrong ways to judge situations and others? Part 2 coming next week.
