Judge Or Jesus?

For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die. [Ezekiel 18.4]

All of Ezekiel chapter 18 deals with this subject. It's a touchy subject. Even today.

It would seem that Ezekiel 18.4 is just a bit too harsh for most of us. We like to quote the verses that indicate that "all have sinned" as if it is corporate sin. The reason we gravitate to this thinking is because it gives us "room" to deny personal responsibility - it's purely a pride thing.

We see the "corporate sin" conclusion drawn most often when "bad things happen to good people." We come to this conclusion because we have erroneously judged a person "good" when God's curses have unmistakably judged them otherwise. We reason that, because mankind is corporately guilty, random individuals (even good ones) suffer for it. The problem with this conclusion is that it is just wrong - Ezekiel 18.4 is not unclear on the subject.

So, what about the newborn baby with cancer or defects? Now it gets tough. Now it gets emotional. Now we get defensive. Now we get mad at God. Now we prove our pride and ego toward God. Now we think our judgement supersedes the judgement of God. Now we, like Job, then find ourselves in need of repentance! But most of us never get that far. Most of us instead harbor proud unspoken disgust and confusion toward God, never fully trusting Him, supplementing with idols of man's device and design where we deem His promises need intervention.

To say the statements above are not true only further proves man's arrogance against God. Curses do not come without reason (Proverbs 26.2).

To focus on "who sinned?" is to miss the point. It is nothing but pride to question a curse! Jesus made this clear in a profound encounter with a blind man where His disciples were more interested in determining "who sinned" instead of being busy about the work of redemption!

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! [John 9.1-7]

Sin indeed entered the world when Adam sinned. Every human is conceived and born into sin. Period. Therefore, no curse is unjustified or needs to be questioned; it needs redemption that only Jesus can give.

For us to judge a person "good" is a foundational sin of arrogance denying what the Bible says about man. For this reason, there should be no question from us when encountering a curse upon anyone's life! Ours is simply the task to bring Jesus to every curse we find, whether upon a newborn child or an adult godly saint. Our job is not to discern sin - curses do that for us. Our job is to bring reconciliation between God and man in forgiveness of sins manifesting in healing and deliverance!

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20.21-23]

John 20.21-23 profoundly identifies the foundation of the tasks assigned to us by the one who sent us. That foundation is forgiveness, not judgement. Jesus demonstrated this on every turn with everyone EXCEPT religious people who (proudly) thought they had it all figured out.

What Ezekiel makes clear is that God has relationship with every person individually. What Jesus makes clear is that our job is to foster God's relationship with every individual bringing redemption from the curse to every circumstance we encounter just as Jesus did. And, we don't have to identify the "exceptions" (the religious people who think they know it all) as they will identify themselves when "Jesus" shows up.

Too much of Christians' time is spent "judging" situations when they simply need to bring Jesus to those situations. Curses have already done the judging. Curses show us where redemption - where Jesus - is needed!

So, we have a choice. Will we encounter every individual as "judge" or as "Jesus"? There is only one right answer!

Father, as Ezekiel wrote, all people are Yours to judge - Yours alone. Forgive me for proudly taking that task upon myself instead of the task Jesus assigned. May our eyes be opened to our error regarding this subject and may we be "Jesus" to everyone we encounter! So be it!