“Judge not, that you be not judged.” That’s the beginning of what Jesus has to say about judging others in Matthew 7:1-7 and was also the topic of last Sunday’s sermon. God doesn’t want his people to be judgmental. He wants us to show each other grace – just like he does for us.

This has all sorts of relevance our daily lives and I’ve enjoyed reading your texts and emails about ways the Lord has been showing you. One of the best parts of being a pastor is getting to see the way the Spirit is at work in you. One thing has come up again and again, so I figured it was worth considering together for just a moment.

The Coronavirus has prevented us from doing so many of the things we would normally do, but it hasn’t prevented us from judging one another. We judge each other for not wearing a mask in public and being cavalier with the safety of others. We judge each other for wearing a mask in public and fueling fear. We judge each other for putting too much emphasis on the economic impact or for not putting enough emphasis on the economy. We judge each other for the statistics we believe and the links we share. You get the point, right? As if we didn’t have enough excuses to judge each other, the past couple of months have given us dozens more. The Coronavirus didn’t make us judgmental. It has only revealed the judgmental tendencies of our hearts and given us the chance to do something about it. The fact is that we like being the judge.

But Christian, that’s not your job. It’s not your job to condemn people. It’s not your job to enforce the moral standards of the universe. It’s God’s responsibility to sit in judgement over the world and he does it better than any of us. Only he has the right to decide who is acquitted and who is condemned. And that’s good news! Instead of dishing out all the condemnations that we deserve, God has opted to show us grace in the death of his Son.

Let’s remember that as we go about our week. Before you condemn anybody else, remember that you stand condemned if not for the blood of Jesus. The only reason you and I aren’t judged is because Jesus was judged for us.

Therefore, be patient with each other. Be long-suffering with the weaknesses of others. Just about everyone I know is a little more on edge than they were a month ago. A month of disconnection and isolation will do that! The Coronavirus has left us all more vulnerable to our judgmental tendencies, so let’s fight all the more to remember the grace that God has shown us. Then we’ll have what we need to show grace to others.