Who are you to judge? (James 4:11-12)
Billy Milton - March 18, 2007
| Other formats : |
 |
Mp3 audio recording |
|
PDF version |
If you’ve been at all regular in attending church over the past couple of months, you will be beginning to see a bit of a theme developing from James here. 1:19 – slow to speak; 1:26 – keep a tight rein on your tongue; 2:12 – speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that brings freedom; 3:2-12 - Faults of the tongue; 4:11 – don’t slander one another.
Reading between the lines I think that maybe Pastor James has been at the receiving end of some harsh words – what do you think? He seems very aware of the damage that can be done by loose and insensitive talking. It destroys individuals, it destroys families, it destroys church families. I know of at least one church whose doors were closed through slander and lies. And James simply says this morning – don’t do it.
But what’s so wrong with a bit of gossip or slander because after all doesn’t everybody enjoy a little bit of harmless gossip? Well, actually the words ‘harmless’ and ‘gossip’ don’t belong in the same sentence and the damage caused by gossip is often irretrievable. The story’s told about a young man who came to his dad for advice (you can tell its not a true story) about a problem that was worrying him greatly. He had had a big argument with a friend and to get his own back he had started a rumour about him and now he wanted to make up with his friend and stop the rumour. His dad told him to take a bag of chicken feathers and place them one by one on the doorstep of every door in town. After the boy had done as his dad had said his dad then told him to go and regather every one of the chicken feathers. The boy tried but of course the wind had blown them all over the place and his task was impossible. The dad then made the obvious application that the wind of gossip by now would have taken the rumour far beyond the reach of the young man to stop it. The best way to stop a rumour is not to start one.
So James says - do not slander one another. When we think of slander we generally think of gross charges against another person that damages their reputation. But the Greek verb here is actually broader in scope. It means any form of speaking negatively against a person or an organisation. That’s tough isn’t? Which of us isn’t guilty? What we say may be true or false, but it becomes a sin if:
- a. It is said in an unkind or harsh manner
- b. If we are judging the person we are talking about
- c. If it seeks to hurt or malign the other person
There are a few reasons why slander is such a dangerous sin:
First, slandering tears down. It never builds, does it? It is spreading negative falsehoods and untruths to those who would otherwise not be involved. And so it destroys not just the one person but also the unity within the community. It spreads like a virus that is out of control. It dirties the bride of Christ, the church. And harms our witness. Slander destroys and tears down a fellowship that maybe has taken years to build.
Second, slander is evidence of pride. In last week’s passage, James told us that we need to humble ourselves to experience the grace of God in our lives. ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’. When we are slandering someone we are trying to lift ourselves up, not exhibit humility. We think we make ourselves look better by making another look worse. We are getting back at them because they don’t see things the way I see them, so we try to lower them in the minds of others. The problem is that this often comes from our insecurity. But perhaps we have been put down so often that we just automatically feel less than others. And so we in turn pull others down to our level.
This is a good example of how the sins of the parents are passed down to their children. Either the children hear their parents put others down regularly and learn the same behaviour pattern. Or they have been put down by their parents and in turn do the same. So, slander tears down community and it encourages our pride.
But James gives us 3 more reasons why slander is a terrible sin. And these reasons are not ones we would usually think of.
The third problem with slander is that it violates the law. Exo 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
James 2:8 “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.”
To slander someone is not showing love. If you are slandering, or speaking evil of, or speaking against, or putting down, or judging your brother, you cannot be loving him.
And when we speak evil of them, we are judging them. This in turn makes us subject to judgment. Remember what Jesus taught in the Matt 7:1-5 reading, “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.”
Fourth, James says that we also judge the law. vs.2 - “Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” James says that when we openly and blatantly disobey the royal law, to love our neighbour as ourself, we are saying that the law is stupid, invalid and worthless.
I’ll give you an example of ‘judging the law’ that hits too close to home for me. You know the speed sign that flashes up, ‘Slow Down – 30 mph’ as you drive into Northchurch from Tring? Well a few months back I was giving someone a lift home late at night when that sign flashed on and when I looked at my speedo I was doing about 35 mph. I made some irritated comment about stupid signs, blah, blah, blah and did not slow down. The guy who was getting a lift from me said, “My best friend was killed at that very spot by a driver doing about 40 m.p.h.! Boy, did I feel stupid. I had judged the law harshly and ignorantly and it turned out that it wasn’t the law that was stupid – it was me.
And so when we gossip, slander or judge someone else we are in effect saying that the law to slander and even the law to love our brothers is stupid. It doesn’t matter that much. Nobody’s going to get hurt. We judge that the law does not matter.
Check out Rom 1:28-32. Paul gives a list of sins that people of depraved minds will indulge in. Included in the list is murder… and gossip and slander. Paul clearly and deliberately places those who slander in the company of those who did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God.
We cannot take God’s law lightly.
And last of all, James makes an even stronger charge - all for a few thoughtless words. When we slander we usurp the position of God. We take a role that is reserved for Him alone and take it upon ourselves. We are saying that we know better than God, that in judging someone we have the skill and ability to do so.
James asks us, “Who are you to judge your neighbour?” Are we really qualified? Do you know what the person you are slandering is going through in their private life? Are you in possession of all the facts you need to make a judgment? Do you have perfect understanding of the law? I’m afraid not – only God knows the law perfectly and only God knows each of our situations perfectly as well. When we judge we are taking a position that belongs only to God.
But, I hear you say, what do I do if I have a genuine concern about someone or about things in the church that are bothering me? Do I just shut my mouth and get more and more frustrated until there’s no other alternative but to go elsewhere? No, we then do what Matthew 18 tells us. Don’t start to build a little army around you. Don’t start a whisper campaign, which as we have seen is almost impossible to contain once set off. Go to the person that is irritating you or behaving badly or whatever and gently and lovingly point out the problem you are having with them or their behaviour. Matthew says, “If he listens you have won him over.” And you’ll probably have a friend for life. If it’s the church that’s bugging you, talk to an elder and see if they can help… but don’t begin to wind yourself and others up by gossip or slander… after all “who are we to judge?”
Let’s get practical as we finish. Is there someone you need to talk to this morning and set things right? Are you aware of a bad attitude developing within you which needs confessing and praying about? Offer prayer and the chance to confess bad attitudes and be reconciled to each other.