The Judge Who Knew Better
Every year, Judge Mark Ciavarella visited every school in the district to warn students of the county's zero-tolerance policy. He followed it up by sentencing thousands of them to serve time in for-profit youth detention centers. But then the truth came to light. He'd taken nearly a million dollars from the man who built the detention centers. So, the state Supreme Court vacated the sentences for the convictions he had handed down. Then, Judge Edwin Kosik sentenced him to 28 years in prison. Mark Ciavarella had no excuse.
In his sweeping review of our godlessness and unrighteousness, Paul has written about "them." We've nodded along as he's explained how people have exchanged the glory of God for idols, the truth of God for a lie, and the worship of God for the approval of what's wrong. It's a satisfying read. Judging how people live without God feels good. I've watched more police body cam videos on YouTube than I want to admit. It's entertaining to see someone attempt to evade an entire police department on the highway only to eventually get caught. Justice is served. I'm not thinking about how I break the speed limit, don't use my turn signal, or drift through a stop sign. If the police were out to get me for breaking the law, they would find something. John Stott explains, "If our critical faculties are so well developed that we become experts in our moral evaluation of others, we can hardly plead ignorance of moral issues ourselves." Despite all that I know, I break the law while judging others for breaking the law. It's tempting to say, "I have a doctorate in ministry and write Bible studies, so God approves of me." But I know that I'm greedy, quarrelsome, and disobedient to my parents (Romans 1:29-30). Using God's truth to put others beneath me is like getting a baseball bat for Christmas and using it to beat someone up. I am without excuse. To avoid the message, I want to reject the messenger. Perhaps Paul is a hypocrite. He's judging me and saying I should not judge! But Robert Mounce identifies the difference: "Evaluation is not the same as condemnation." It's good to know God's standards, even though I can't keep them. I've heard pastors caught in moral failure say, "Only God is my judge." They're right. If they realized what they were saying, they would be terrified. Churches can still evaluate their behavior against the truth and disqualify them from ministry. When Paul talks about despising God's kindness, he's talking about looking down on it. So, when I look down on others, I despise God's kindness to me. God has cared for me by revealing himself, showing me how to live, and offering me salvation. He sees that we've turned away from him and against one another. But he's still kind, restrained, and patient. God wants better for us than we want for ourselves. His restraint held back his judgment because Jesus went to the cross in our place (Romans 3:21-26).
Why do you think Paul talks about "them" before turning to talk about "you" (Romans 2:1)?
How have you seen God treat you with kindness, restraint, and patience?
What kind of person do you tend to look down on? What do you have in common with them?
If you're able, get on your knees and tell God, "I know I've judged others while ignoring my own sin. I know that you love me too much for me to continue this way. In your kindness, please help me to start following your will. Amen."
Sources:
Zero Tolerance Breeds Zero Justice, Youth Today, April 2009.
John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans: God's Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today (InterVarsity Press, 2001).
Robert H. Mounce, Romans, The New American Commentary, vol. 27 (Broadman & Holman, 1995).