JUDGMENT! There are a number of judgements found in the Bible.
So many people when they think of judgment they believe that it is a negative thing, but it is all about the outcome. If you are being judged or assessed on your performance and then rewarded for your effort it is a good thing, when you know you did your very best. When we go before the throne of God and through His judgment, and He adjudicates a finding of ‘well done my good and faithful servant’ you will then rejoice. The only time judgment is a negative thing is when you know you have not met the appropriate expectations.
What is judgement - the capacity to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions - (law) the determination by a court of competent jurisdiction on matters submitted to it - the act of judging or assessing a person or situation or event on the evidence presented.
Before we even get into investigating the types of Judgments we find in the world around us and what our part is in addressing these issues we need to look at the whole root of where the judgement of others comes from. Do you realise that the origin of Judgment in the world originates from the original sin!
Jesus addressed this matter of original sin in Mark chapter eleven verse thirteen; the story is also found in Matthew twenty-one verse eighteen. We only know it as ‘the cursing of the fig tree’, but in this parable, Jesus is addressing the original sin and also the lack of spiritual fruit coming out of the religious establishment of the day in Israel.
Mark 11:12-14, NKJV
The Fig Tree Withered
Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
And His disciples heard it.
Just reading this scripture about the fig tree by its self makes no sense – why? This incident on the surface seems very baffling as to why the Messiah should curse a defenceless fig tree for having leaves but no fruit. However, when you understand the association of the fig with Judah or Judea, as it was then known, the meaning becomes entirely clear.
We should ask a few question like;
• Does the parable of the fig tree have a deeper significants?
• Why did He curse the fig tree?
• Why is this type of behaviour ok?
• Why would you want to exemplify this kind of behaviour as a Christian, ‘cursing a fig tree for not having fruit when it isn't the time for figs?’
• Why does He then focus on a mountain? Was He just picking on the little fig tree, or was He teaching His disciples a lesson? If so what was the lesson?
• Where was He standing when He made this declaration? He was in Jerusalem standing in front of ‘The Temple Mount – Mount Maria’. My Bible tells me in verse twenty that this was ‘The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree.’
Is He saying, if you're hungry, and you can't find food curse the fig tree or if there is a mountain in your way through it into the sea? Or are these metaphors for something?
When you read stories like this one, that make no sense, you need to ask what is actually being said, what is the contextual and historical significants, we need to learn to dig deeper.
He then goes on to say in Mark chapter eleven verse twenty three “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Let me ask you a question. What was the mountain He was referring to?
The mountain He was referring to was the Religious establishments of the day.
Do you realise that this whole event in Mark eleven is just after Palm Sunday and six days before His coming crucifixion? Jesus had gone into Jerusalem and also the temple. The Bible tells us – “So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.” So He leaves the temple and goes to Bethany to sleep, He must have been upset with what He had seen in the temple because the next day he goes back to the temple and has this object lesson about the fig tree on the way.
To fully understand this story and what the fig leaf and the tree stand for, we need to go back to the beginning - Genesis. Once we understand what Jesus is referring to, we then will understand the rest of the chapter and the context of what Jesus is referring to.
Genesis 2:15-17, NKJV
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
We are about to see that the original sin and the fig tree are connected. The consuming of the fruit from ‘The tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ is a very powerful message. Did you know that the figurative understanding of the word ‘tree’ in middle eastern culture was – a way of thinking (it was a metaphor).
Moses was the one who wrote the first five books of the Bible. Let me ask you this question, what culture did Moses grow up in? Egypt, and how did they write? In picture form. So the first five books would not have been written in Hebrew in their original form, but translated to Hebrew at a later date. Keep this in mind as we continue our investigation.
The name of the tree referenced in Genesis 2 was ‘The knowledge of good and evil’ it represented a way of thinking. In the Jewish culture, the word tree is ‘etz’, and it is symbolised as an eye and a hook, the hook is the Hebrew word tzadik. So we could say, the way of thinking you hook your eye on will be your way of determining your righteous living.
The original sin was to believe that you had the ability to determine between good and evil. It is like saying, ‘I believe I have the capability to master good and evil (right and wrong), and that makes me righteous.’ When we find ourselves identifying our righteousness in our ability and right to judge others, then we can not fellowship with the tree of life. Do we find ourselves doing this in any part of our lives today?
Is there any way our lives are centred around the mastery of good and evil (right and wrong?) If we live as judges of right and wrong are we not just committing the same original sin again?
James 4:11-12, AMP
[My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it].
12 One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the One Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor?
Do you know what it is called when you want to master the knowledge of good and evil (right and wrong)? It is called ‘judgment,' you want the ability to judge for yourself what is good or evil (right and wrong.)
The original sin in the garden of Eden was a judgment against God. Eve decided that Gods way of thinking was not worthy to be followed, and she challenged this way of thinking by disobeying God and seeking the opportunity not to follow God blindly but to judge for herself.
God's Word tells us if you define your life on how you navigate good and evil (right and wrong) that leads to some kind of death. I believe Eve said to herself something like this, “I am making a judgment that I would rather be like God than one with God. I would rather know good and evil than just to receive what God has for me for free and just live by faith.” That is just like saying “because I know right from wrong I can be righteous or make myself righteous.”
That is judgment – so if judgment was the original sin – what did Jesus say about judgment, in short He said don’t judge others. What He said was, don’t set your life up where you are the master of the knowledge of good and evil – don’t do that. That type of thinking will come back and bite you. If you judge others, you will be judged. It leads to death and separation, and judging others is not a good thing.
Evidently, we can conclude that entering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil leads to some type of death. Are we leading lives to be ones of extravagant love and life or are we living our lives to show we are experts in good and evil (right and wrong)?
To be kingdom minded people, we need to make a faith decision to be a people known for extravagant love and not for our knowledge of right and wrong. Consider these words from Hebrews chapter five.
Hebrews 5:12-14, NKJV
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
This scripture tells us to be discerners of good and evil not judges. How is it good to judge others, now that we understand when we access the knowledge of good and evil setting ourselves up as a judge between right and wrong we are just doing what Adam and Eve did, and that is called the original sin? That behaviour stop them from accessing the tree of life.
First Corinthians chapter four verse five tells us this; ‘Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.’ Another verse for you to consider is found in Matthew chapter ten verse twenty six, and this one goes like this; So have no fear of them; for nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, or kept secret that will not become known.
What I am trying to say here is let’s just let God do His job as judge, and let us follow the way of the Lord [the tree of Life] by being ones that display extravagant love.
