Not a Judge

Not a Judge

Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" Luke.12.13-14

One of the sources of distractions to kingdom message and growth is turning the Church to a courtyard and her ministers to arbitrators and judges. Many believers and leaders find relevance in settling disputes and so promoting or encouraging busybodies, rumour peddlers and conflict promoters. It may sound so good that as a minister or a believer you tend to see yourself in the light of a peace maker, always giving attention to issues of conflicts and disputes among brethren. If you think this is your area of calling,  you've got to be careful. This is a ministry that is very tricky and demands a  lot of wisdom and caution. 

As believers we should understand the statement of the scripture in Matt 5:9; that says, "blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God" doesn't turn us to arbitrators in every domestic argument or dispute.  The case of the man who came out of the crowd to Jesus in Luke 12, should teach us to discern and understand that God has not sent us into the world  to settle quarrels or to share properties and inheritance but to reconcile men to Himself. We are called to  make peace between men and God, to restore sinners to their maker through the preaching of the gospel. 

The Apostles in Acts chapter 6 also understood this fact when disagreement and complaints arose among the disciples about distributions for the widows. They prayed and ordered that deacons should be appointed to address the complaints and administer the tables to avoid distractions for the Apostles. That was not their primary calling. The matter of the kingdom demands absolute focus and commitment.  So, to avoid wasting their energy on settling disputes and sharing food, instead of praying and sharing the gospel,  they had to commit that duty to other people.  On the other hand, Moses would have killed himself prematurely by sitting and settling issues for the people all day if not for the timely intervention of Jethro. 

Many of us are dieing of stress and overwork because we don't understand our calling. We don't know when to say no to the crowd. We want to please men and so we turn the house of God, a house of prayer and solemnity to a place of noise, conflicts and court of arbitration.  I do not say it is bad for the Church or her leaders to intervene in conflicts resolutions, but if we learn anything from our Lord Jesus Christ,  we should know we are not called to Judge. It is not easy to combine our spiritual and primary assignments to God and His work with the complexities of human excesses. 

The Church is not a court of arbitration, save yourself from disputes and distractions. The Church of today is already crowded with complex set of people with different characters and peculiar problems. We should be wise enough to know when to ignore it. We need the help of the Holy Spirit and clear understanding of our fundamental purpose to be able  to handle this and not lose focus of the things that are of more importance for the kingdom edification. 

 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. 1Cor.4.5

Readings:  Exo. 18:13-26; Matt. 7:1-6; Luke 12:1-21; Acts 6:1-7.

Prayers:

Oh God of wisdom,  help me not to lose sight of You and the things that matter most in the Kingdom. Help me to be more Kingdom conscious rather than being issue driven.  I pray through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.