Deuteronomy 1:9–18, John 5:19–30, Romans 1:28–2:9
We’ve all heard, “if you have one finger pointing out, you have three fingers pointing back.” There is great wisdom in that seeming childish saying. It might be better to say it is child-like. the child-like understanding recognizes the 3-to-1 ratio is important. The adult-like perspective, on the other hand, is more like self-justifying 3 fingers, while still pointing with the 1.
How do we balance the right judgment as called out in Deuteronomy, yet keep Jesus‘ words in mind? Are we called to judge, or not?
Deuteronomy was about the outward act, with the intent of restoration, unity, and the community. The heart was toward a holy relationship with God.
Have you ever committed, aided, or abetted the following: unrighteousness, evil, greed, wickedness, envy, murder (remember, Jesus puts calling someone a “fool” in the same category), quarrelling, deceit, malice, gossip, slanderer, God-hater, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventor of evil, disobedience to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, or unmerciful?
Now how often have we pointed fingers at others for their violation of these, but failed to recognize and repent for ours?
Jesus wasn’t calling on us to disregard failures and sins, quite the contrary. He was calling us to give life to them, to walk beside them, to aid them, to lift them up.
1) Have you ever publically or privately shamed a person for committing the same or similar act you have done?
2) When seeing someone do something you know violates God’s (not man’s) ways, how do you approach it? Accusative, encouraging, helping?
3) There is a tendency to look at others when reading the list of Paul‘s. However, we find our actions often on this list. How do you look at verse 1:28?