Why is it so easy to get sucked into talking about other people? I don’t want to get pulled into those conversations, but I am always mysteriously drawn toward them and then, resistance is futile. Maybe I don’t want to feel left out and be the only one that doesn’t know something. Maybe when I talk about the mistakes and failures of others, it makes me feel better about myself. Maybe it is just easier to bring other people down than it is to bring myself up. Whatever the reason, whenever I hear someone talking about another person, I am naturally drawn toward that conversation.
In Matthew 6:34, Jesus concludes a section of the Sermon on the Mount that is centered on worry. He says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” The next verse he starts off with, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” That seems like a sudden change in topics. When I read the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus, I often wonder how much more was said that did not get remembered or written down. Was there a bit of a transition here that did not get documented? Was there a question from the audience? There are a few places where there seems to be an odd change of topics. and I wonder what we are missing.
This is one of those odd transitions. Or is it? Maybe it is not such an odd shift in topics, but perhaps a continuation of the same. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. And don’t worry about what other people are doing. You have enough trouble on your own.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Matthew 7: 1-2
Treat others in the same way you want to be treated. However we treat others, that is how others will treat us. If we are constantly judging and talking bad about other people, other people will be constantly talking bad about and judging us. If we are always lifting others up and encouraging them, we will be lifted up and encouraged. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. In the same way we talk about others, others will talk about us. Give and it will be given to you.
It is easy to get pulled into those conversations about others. We often have a good reason why we should know. “I’m only trying to help that person.” “I need to know so I know how to better pray for them.” “How can I help them if I don’t know what the problem is?” Every one of those is centered around the word “I”. None of these reasons are centered around what is best for the other person. They are centered around what is best for me. How can I build my kingdom if I am not the person that knows everything? When we judge others, we are tearing down their kingdom so ours can grow bigger. When we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we become more secure in our faith and who God made us to be, and the desire to judge the actions and motives of others begins to go away and is replaced by a desire to encourage and help each other.
By the way. Did you hear about… Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you more.
