How does one become a true judge?
There are two trees in the Garden. One must first eat of the Tree of Life, which is purely a tree of grace, a gift. This is a tree that one has done nothing to deserve, and one must eat perhaps for a long time to become mature and strong. This tree must be surrendered to, it must be trusted and received, and is the tree where obedience is learned. This is also the “Tree of Gratitude”, because thanksgiving, and worship are the only appropriate responses to being given the gift of life. But at some point, it becomes inescapably necessary to become a judge, and to begin to deal in the Knowledge of Good and Evil. One at some point is invited to eat of the second tree, and one must (I Kings 3:9, 2 Chron. 1:10, Prov. 2:1-15, Heb. 5:14). One must for example, at some point in late adolescence, begin to judge ones’ parents. This is inescapable. “What of all that I have received from my parents is good, and must be kept and strengthened, and what is not so good, and perhaps even bad, that must be jettisoned, modified, or exchanged?” This cannot be avoided. But, if one is not first grateful for all that has been received from one parents, and grateful for them, and thankful to God for them, one will become a false judge of what has been passed on.
The pre-requisite to becoming a true judge is gratitude for all that has been given and received.
If one reverses the order, as did our first parents, one becomes a judge without first receiving, submitting, surrendering, and being grateful for all that has been received, then judgments will all be skewed and will not bring new worlds, but will bring disharmony and destruction and nothing but bad death. If gratitude is not the pre-requisite, then the pre-requisite will be conceit, arrogance, pride, anger, and selfishness. It is into this false situation that Jesus speaks when he warns us, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” False judgment will always evoke other counter judgments and will always bring bad death and destruction.
This is why we always receive the bread before we receive the wine in the Lord’s Supper.
But after we have surrendered and received life, and have learned to be grateful for all things, then we partake of the wine, of the blood, and we learn to pass judgment. The fruit of the Tree of Life, of surrender, of gratitude, is evolutionary. The implications of what is already there can grow and can become all that was placed into them. This is the era of growth and of harmony. But, when we partake of the wine, the blood, then we begin to pass judgment on things, on situations, and we enter an era of revolution, of quantum leap, of transformation through death and resurrection. Anytime a judgment is passed on a situation, it means that situation or state of affairs, will be so radically altered as to virtually bring it to an end. It will be (in varying degrees and sizes) the end of one world and the beginning of another. One must be mature to deal in death, because passing a judgment always brings a death. And it is to this situation that Paul speaks when he says, “The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.”
If we refuse to judge when the necessary time comes, then we forestall the called for death and the cost increases. It never decreases. To live in appeasement of what should be judged is to make the final price of death far higher.
Sometimes to become a true judge, we must go back and take a refresher course in surrender, trust, obedience and gratitude. Sometimes, it is a long refresher course that is necessary. When this is done well, those who have done so are prepared to become very wise judges because the ground work has been so thoroughly worked over. I have had alcoholics for friends whose lives were wrecks, enter Alcoholics Anonymous, and learn all over (usually for the first time) all about surrender, trust, obedience and gratitude, who then became the wisest people in my acquaintance.
At some point, one must become willing to deal in death. One must pass judgment. If one does not, if one is not willing to do that which will fundamentally alter a situation completely, then one only forestalls the price that must be paid. The passing of judgment is inescapable.
Rich,
Are we learning judgment at the table, through judgment? In otherwords, are we judged by the blood of Christ, wherein He expiates (is that a bad word at the table?) sin and prononces blessing on us?
Or
Are we passing judgment on Christ in the sense of “I know not what others may choose, but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord?”
al sends
Hi Al,
I am not sure I can answer your question in a completely satisfactory way, but let me try.
At the Lord’s Supper, we receive all the benefits of being in union with him. We continue to be nourished by our justification. But in everyway, we are conformed to his image. Jesus in his life acts as a judge, in a preliminary way. He cuts, he divides (Luke 12:49-53 as a simple example, with Luke 7:36-50 being a very concrete example). In drinking the blood, we take into ourselves by faith, these same capacities. We begin to be like him, and mirror his as just judges ourselves. It is a matter of maturation and growth.
Does that help?
Rich
[…] Toward Judgment In an entry by Rich Bledsoe over at Biblical Horizons blog, I read something that set my mind to work. It was an illustration […]
Thanks Rich,
I believe that helps. One follow up, while I understand we take in these capacities; I am not clear if we are being judged at the table.
All judgment brings death,
I die to self when coming to the table.
Therefore, I am being judged at the table.
I know there is a logical fallacy there, affirming the consequent, but is it true in this instance that the table brings death (to sin, self, self-righteousness etc), because God is judging me there and not because I kill sin in me prior to my approach to the table?
I don’t know if that makes any sense, but there you are.
Al sends
Isn’t dieing to yourself what keeps us from being judged at the table.
1Co 11:30-32 “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
There can be a judgment that happens at the table, but that is not what it is for, that is what happens if we don’t confess our sins. There is a judgment involved with the table, but it is the self-judging.
Dear Mr Bledsoe
You have a way of putting your finger on fundamental things. This essay should be mandatory reading for everyone. Thank you.