Wellspring UMC; Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost; September 23, 2007: “Eyes vs. Heart”:

-Romans 2: 1-13; Luke 6: 37-42

“Judge not and you will not be judged.” “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” We’ve heard these phrases, but the question before us today is how does this advice affect our faithful living?

Today we continue our series working through the Sermon on the Plain. We began with the blessings and woes which invited us to put life into perspective, then last week we were reminded of the call to love our enemies, as hard as that is. Today we have lifted up for us words about judgment and judging...that it is best to be aware of when we judge and that when we do, it has ramifications for our lives.

Making judgment is one of those things which we like to think we don’t do, but in reality we do. When I was in my seminary New Testament class, I remember Dr. Efird saying, “People like to say that they don’t judge others, but that’s bunk. Whether we like it or not, everyone judges those around us. What’s important is what we do with and what we learn when we do judge.”

Let’s face it. We judge people, and it is actually one of the ways in which we assess our world. In fact, the judgments we make of people can literally make the difference between life and death, being safe or hurt, but here in Romans and Luke scripture is not focused on safety issues. Rather God is telling us to be aware of how we condemn people or rush to conclusions about others simply because of how they look, what they say, or even what they do. There is a deeper side to everyone, and as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to dig deeper into ourselves and into who the other is, for in doing so, we not only discover a child of God in front of us, but more importantly, we discover who we really are.

I’ve been fascinated this week following the events in Jena, LA, of which the tragic events stemmed from judgments made. When I first heard the story of the nooses hung from the tree, I was sickened, but then I researched further and read of the whole series of misstatements by federal officials, fights, and escalation of tensions, and it was easy to see how this led to the six on one attack. As I have reflected upon the many emotions and thoughts surrounding the Jena 6, I found it appropriate that this scripture would be the topic today. These youth and the town, finds itself embroiled and embedded in the judgment of deep-seated racism on all sides, and the sins of the fathers are being lived out in those who await sentencing and in those who have been injured.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged...the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

All it could have taken to avoid the whole thing would have been to step away from the situation and talk it through. To be willing to see that the person on the other side is a person and not just the representation of something that’s different or threatening...and so it is with all of the “Jena 6" situations in life. To judge is to pigeon-hole someone at the detriment of God’s desire for true life.

As I was preparing for today, I came across this quote, “Judgment is an odd thing, for it emerges out of our own fears. When we judge someone else, we are actually reacting to something in them that is a threat to us.” I had to think about that one a bit. Judgment originates first from us? Judgment is a means by which we don’t just resist the other but are really resisting those things in our lives with which we would rather not deal honestly? Try as I did to resist it, the statement began to become more and more true for me, and I found myself giving it credence.

How many of us are irritated or don’t get along with someone...let’s say a parent or our own child...and when we really look at why, we realize that in them we see that which we resist? How often do we go into a situation feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, but instead of naming our own discomfort we project that on those around us?

There is something ingrained in us which pushes away our weaknesses or struggles and so easily passes those things on to those who around us who are different. But in order to live more completely, in order to live as ones who do not judge, we must learn to recognize those tensions within ourselves and acknowledgment our thoughts and feelings, and though it can be hard to look at, in order to become fully alive in Christ, in order to live out the message of the sermon on the plain, we have to be willing to examine and be honest with ourselves.

Ah, but that is not always easy. In fact, it’s often easier to not go there, for if we do that, then we do not dig deeper, and if we do not dig deeper we do not have to change. It’s easier to keep things on the “eye” level, and you can take that as the letter ‘I’ or ‘e-y-e,’ for both reveal similar responses.

We prefer to keep things on the eye level, but to fully experience life and relationships, we have to move toward the heart level. We have to move toward the core level, which includes seeking, not just our heart but the heart of the other. Though we are prone to remain on eye level, if we dare to go to the heart level, we find that our concern and care broadens. No longer are we more concerned with our hearts, but we begin to see and experience the core of the other. A whole new world opens up, where judgment is less prevalent and life is more fully lived.

A colleague of mine shared this story with me. In World War I the fighting was fierce and close, which meant that many times soldiers were so close they would look one another in the eye in the heat of battle. It is recounted that an English soldier jumped into a foxhole, only to come upon a German soldier. The Englishman lifted his rifle to bayonet the German, but stopped realizing that the German was mortally wounded.

The Englishman noticed that the German was pointing to his pocket. Out of instinct the Englishman reached toward the pocket and found pictures...of the man’s wife, his parents, his daughter, and his son. He held each picture up so the dying man could see them, and with each picture the man seemed to say goodbye. After seeing the last, the German died.

The Englishman was taken aback, for this changed the war for him. No longer did he see his enemy, but he looked upon and saw a husband, a son, and a father. He had caught a glimpse of the heart of his enemy, and as he did, his ability to judge the man was affected. What was even more powerful and meaningful was that he saw the other deeply, with his own heart, not just his eyes, and in doing so, he was changed.

Jesus shares with us this whole concept of not judging then goes on to speak of those who cannot see. “Can a blind person guide a blind person?” In other words, can society fulfill God’s purpose if we walk around blind to one another, or even to ourselves? “No,” Christ says, “I am the teacher, follow me, and have your eyes and heart opened.”

He continues, “And why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own...you must first remove your own hindrances,” Christ says, “before judging the other.” In other words, we are invited to examine ourselves first...see with our hearts where we truly are, for only then will our eyes and lives be wide open.

On the front of our bulletin today is this Haitian Proverb, “What the eye does not see does not move the heart.” It is a powerful statement, for so often we don’t look deep enough with our eyes to see the child of God before us. This in itself is a tragedy, but even more tragic is the truth that when we don’t look deep enough at the other, we miss the opportunity to look deep into ourselves. We miss the chance to learn and grow more fully into who God would have us become. We risk healthy evaluation of our own lives, which in turn leaves us where we are, rather than growing toward where God needs us to be.

Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” Look with more than the eyes, but seek with the heart. In doing so, everyone wins. Those around us are fulfilled, we are fulfilled, and God is proud, for when we are willing to do this, what God sees with God’s eyes is that which touches God’s heart. What God sees in us is the core of who God is, and God, the world, and we catch a glimpse of the way things are supposed to be. Amen.