2nd Sunday of Matthew
Being judged is never fun … even if you’re guilty of what you’re being accused of.
Inside, we all believe that if others just got to know us better, if they could hear our side of the story, they’d let us off the hook.
Yet, judgment is something we’ve all experienced.
What we don’t expect is for Paul to judge us. After all, he’s writing 2,000 years ago. How could he know anything about our 21st-century lives?
Yet, it’s his firm conviction that we are all guilty. We’ve all been judged by Christ, and we just don’t measure up. But, this is a good thing.
Scripture: Romans 2:1-16 (click here to read)
Bottom Line: God truly knows who we are, so when he forgives us, we don’t have to worry that God will change his mind.
Changing Your Mind
Paul’s Roman Argument
Paul introduces “judgment” early in Romans … and he does so in a brilliant way.
He begins by stating that God’s judgment is against all the impious and unjust pagans. Paul explains how the pagans are “imbeciles” who only act on their “passions of disgrace.” He goes on to list their crimes against God and show how they’ve failed to acknowledge God and his Law.
Now, remember, he’s speaking to Christian converts in Rome, who have adopted a Judeo-Christian worldview. Paul is only saying things that they already believe. You can imagine these Roman Christians nodding their heads in agreement with Paul and shouting, “Amen!” and “Preach it, brother!”
Paul’s Roman Trap
But, Paul has laid a trap. After getting the Romans to agree with him, he turns the tables.
“So you are without defense, O man—everyone who judges—for in that you judge another you condemn yourself; because you who judge engage in the same practices.” (Romans 2:1)
According to Paul, these Roman Christians are just as guilty as the pagans. They are just as miserable and unholy because they passed judgment on the pagans and this, in and of itself, is an unholy thing to do.
Reading this, I can imagine they felt betrayed by Paul. Maybe even angry with him for suggesting they were no better than the pagans who worshipped idols and did all sorts of immoral things. How could Paul trick them in this way? It’s so unfair! After all, they are believers, followers of Jesus Christ, not pagans.
The Beauty of Paul’s Roman Trap
But, by showing that everyone is guilty—whether you thought you’ve been a follower of the Law or even if you’ve never heard of it—Paul is able to preach the Good News in two ways:
1) By showing that God knows us to our very bone, we see that there’s no way he’ll discover something shocking about us and reject us–he knows us completely;
And …
2) By demonstrating that we’re all guilty and unworthy, Paul is able to show that salvation does not depend on something of our doing. We don’t have to worry about “getting it right.” Instead, it’s a free gift that comes through the faith of Jesus Christ. It’s about Jesus’s faithfulness.
God Knows Us Completely
So, let’s look at both these ideas in detail. First, we don’t have to worry about God finding out about our unworthiness.
I’m sure we’ve all been in relationships—whether it’s a friendship, a love interest, or maybe even a colleague at work—that start off really well. As time goes on, you get closer and closer to your friend. But, then you start to worry: my and friend and I are really close and things are going well, but what if they discover my hidden secret? What if they discover that thing in my past I’m not so proud of? What will my friend think of me then? Will they reject me and hang me out to dry?
With God, we don’t have to worry about this. As Paul has shown, God is the ultimate judge and he already knows that we’re guilty—whether we realize it or not. In other words, God knows us through and through.
Yet, despite this, God still loves us and redeems us. God is loving and loyal. He has to be or he wouldn’t cause the sun to shine and the rain to fall on everyone: the good and the bad. His love extends to each and every one of his creatures. Despite the skeletons in our closet, God’s last word is one of mercy.
As Luke Timothy Johnson puts it in his book, Reading Romans,
“God is a loving and loyal creator who hopes that all creatures will come to the truth. But God’s mercy is meaningless if God does not know humans in all their frailty, and God cannot save if God does not judge sin.”
Jesus’s Faithfulness
So, since we have all “missed the mark” and we’ve been condemned in our sins—both those under the Law and those outside of the Law—salvation is not dependent on something we have to do. Imagine the burden that would have been placed on us if we had to earn eternal life! Imagine the stress we’d be under wondering if we’ve “made” it or not! But, we don’t have to fear. Salvation is not a test at school.
After today’s selection, Paul goes on to say,
“God’s covenant justice comes into operation through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah, for the benefit of all who have faith. For there is no distinction: all sinned, and fell short of God’s glory—and by God’s grace they are freely declared to be in the right, to be members of the covenant, through the redemption which is found in the Messiah, Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24)
Salvation is something that Christ has accomplished. And, by grace, it’s given to us through the Holy Spirit. This promised is ensured at our own baptism at the priest anoints us with the Holy Chrism: “The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Now, we are united to God and share in his life. The path to deification is opened to us and we walk with Christ.
Glory to God
Brothers and sisters, Paul assures us that we’re judged by Christ, the only righteous judge who knows us wholly. But, as Paul confirms, this is Good News. We have a savior who can identify with us. We have a savior for whom we don’t have to put on airs. We can be who we are: in all our glorious messy selves. And, at the same time, we are assured that of God’s promise that we are a part of the Kingdom … not because of anything we’ve done, or have to do, but because of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us.
For this, we are glad that we’ve been judged.
Amen.