Lent Day 22 [3.29.2025] / Believer's Recognition Pt. 1

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-6, 21-23 / 마태복음 7:1-6, 21-23

Matthew 7:21 - Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Overview:

How do we recognize one another? We would acknowledge one another by appearance, presence, character, personality, tone of voice, shared time, and mutual experiences. You could even close your eyes and recognize someone by their voice or laughter, or even anticipate their response or choices in certain situations because you know their likes and dislikes. This final section of Jesus’ sermon on the mount provides teaching on how to live a life that God recognizes. God does not recognize a life filled with success and riches nor a life that is filled with miracles and wonders; Jesus teaches that God recognizes a life of humility.  

In our scripture today, Jesus convicts us deeply on our tendency to judge others. We may look at another’s fashion, lifestyle, habits, looks, and choices and find it easy to judge them in comparison and in contrast to ourselves, our preferences, our standards, and our thoughts. He first warns us against such practices by teaching us that our judgement on others will bring down the same judgement on our own heads; and in the measure we judge others, we too will be judged. In this way, we condemn ourselves by condemning others and we bring disaster on ourselves by speaking disaster upon others.

So why are we prone to judging others? Jesus first points out that our tendency to judge does not come from a place of holiness or humility, but rather from a place of insecurity and fear. The Pharisees and Sadducees who were the keepers of God’s law created a false pretense for holiness and separated themselves from laypeople. Such religious leaders claimed that they were holy because they knew the scriptures and lived a more devout life than others. They established themselves in positions of power and glory, often claiming themselves as gatekeepers of holiness, and stood as judges over whether someone was righteous or not. Yet, Jesus calls them hypocrites and vipers because before God they are more sinful and wicked than the ones they claim to love and lead. Their measure of holiness was established in comparison to other people rather than God. In other words, because they thought their lives more impressive and devout than the people around them, they believed they were favored by God and sat rightfully in places of power and judgement. We are prone to judge others for much the same reasons. By tearing down others and putting ourselves in the seat of judgement to determine the worth of and pass a sentence over, even to pity another builds a false sense of superiority and security that leads to relief and even satisfaction in our hearts that we are better off than them. However, Jesus is asking us to remember today, that holiness and His measure of worth and recognition does not come from and is not of this world but is correctly measured when we stand before our all-holy God in Heaven; and before God, all have fallen short of glory and have sinned against God.

Therefore, Jesus teaches us that a life of worth that Christ recognizes begins and ends with humility. When we think of the word humble, we often think of characteristics such as quiet, weak, and vulnerable; while such words are absolutely associated with humility before God, humility more accurately has a radical and courageous function in our lives that admits our wrongdoings and need for Jesus Christ.  

In John 8:1-11, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees dragged a woman caught in adultery into the temple courts where all the people had gathered. Upon bringing this woman to Jesus, they recite the Law of Moses, which commanded them to stone such a woman to death. Jesus would bend down and write on the ground with his finger as they continued to press and question Him. He would then challenge them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” and then continued to write something on the ground. One by one, starting with the older, they all dropped their stones and left. Then Jesus approached this woman and asked her, who has condemned her. She looked up and saw that no one remained. Then Jesus declared, “neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” 

To condemn means to pass a judgement of dishonor, punishment, and death. The one individual who had the right to throw a stone at this woman declares that He has not condemned her. If we as sinners have not been condemned by Jesus Christ, how can we condemn those who Jesus Christ Himself has not condemned. Rather, Jesus presses upon our hearts the courage to realize that much of what we have judged others for are some of the very habits, tendencies, thoughts, temptations, and actions that we too have committed. We may judge another for the speck of imperfection we see in their character, actions, and life, but all the while there is a plank of sin in our own. Rather than feeling falsely secure by judging others, Jesus is leading us to find absolute and total redemption in receiving His total forgiveness despite having every right to condemn us. Today Jesus is leading us to find ultimate healing by admitting our need for forgiveness and our need for Him. We are to silence our judgment of what Jesus has not condemned and find healing in that same mercy He has for us today.  

Prayer:

1. God, thank you for teaching me how to live a humble life that you recognize and are pleased with.

2. Jesus, help me to live in humility to know that I too have fallen short of your perfection and am in need of grace and mercy.

3. Holy Spirit, help me to stop judging others and first rid myself of my own destructive, dark, and sinful habits and thoughts.

   
   

개요:

우리는 어떻게 서로를 알아볼까요? 우리는 외모, 존재감, 성격, 인격, 목소리 톤, 함께한 시간과 공통된 경험을 통해 서로를 인식합니다. 심지어 눈을 감고도 목소리나 웃음소리로 누군가를 알아볼 수 있으며, 특정 상황에서 그들의 반응이나 선택을 예상할 수 있습니다. 이는 그들의 취향과 싫어하는 것을 알고 있기 때문입니다. 산상수훈의 마지막 부분에서 예수님은 하나님께서 인식하시는 삶을 사는 방법에 대해 가르치십니다. 하나님은 성공과 부로 가득 찬 삶을 인정하지 않으시며, 기적과 이적으로 가득 찬 삶도 인정하지 않으십니다. 예수님은 하나님께서 겸손한 삶을 인정하신다고 가르치십니다.

오늘의 성경 말씀에서 예수님은 우리가 다른 사람을 판단하려는 경향에 대해 깊이 책망하십니다. 우리는 다른 사람의 패션, 생활방식, 습관, 외모, 선택 등을 보고 우리의 취향, 기준, 생각과 비교하여 쉽게 판단할 수 있습니다. 예수님은 먼저 그러한 행동에 대해 경고하시며, 우리가 다른 사람을 판단하면 동일한 판단이 우리에게 임할 것이라고 가르치십니다. 우리가 다른 사람을 정죄함으로써 스스로를 정죄하며, 다른 사람에게 재앙을 선포함으로써 스스로에게 재앙을 가져옵니다.

우리가 왜 다른 사람을 판단하는 경향이 있는 것일까요? 예수님은 먼저 우리의 판단하려는 경향이 거룩함이나 겸손함에서 비롯된 것이 아니라, 불안감과 두려움에서 비롯된 것이라고 말씀하십니다. 하나님의 율법을 지키는 바리새인과 사두개인들은 거룩함의 거짓된 외형을 만들어 평신도들과 자신을 구별하였습니다. 이러한 종교 지도자들은 성경을 알고 다른 사람들보다 더 신앙생활을 했기 때문에 거룩하다고 주장했습니다. 그들은 권력과 영광의 위치를 차지하며 스스로를 거룩함의 문지기로 세우고, 누군가가 의로운지 아닌지를 판단하는 자리에 섰습니다. 그러나 예수님은 그들을 위선자와 독사라고 부르시며, 그들이 사랑하고 인도한다고 주장하는 사람들보다 하나님 앞에서 더 죄 많고 악하다고 말씀하십니다. 그들의 거룩함의 척도는 하나님이 아닌 다른 사람들과의 비교에 의해 세워졌습니다.

우리는 다른 사람을 판단하면서 잘못된 우월감과 안도감을 느낄 때가 많습니다. 다른 사람을 헐뜯고, 그들보다 나은 위치에 있는 듯한 만족감에 빠질 때, 우리는 예수님의 가르침을 잊고 있는 것입니다. 예수님은 오늘 우리에게 거룩함과 가치의 기준이 이 세상에서 비롯된 것이 아니라, 하늘의 거룩하신 하나님 앞에서 올바르게 측정되어야 한다고 상기시키고 계십니다. 하나님 앞에서는 모두가 영광에 이르지 못하였고, 하나님께 죄를 지었습니다.

따라서 예수님은 그리스도께서 인정하시는 가치 있는 삶이 겸손으로 시작하고 겸손으로 끝난다고 가르치십니다. 겸손이라는 단어를 생각할 때, 우리는 종종 조용함, 약함, 취약함을 떠올립니다. 그러나 하나님 앞에서의 겸손은 잘못을 인정하고 예수 그리스도의 도움이 필요함을 고백하는 급진적이고 용기 있는 역할을 합니다.

성경 이야기:요한복음 8:1-11에서 율법교사와 바리새인들은 간음하다 잡힌 여인을 성전 뜰로 끌고 와 모세의 율법을 낭독하며 돌로 치라고 요구했습니다. 예수님은 땅에 손가락으로 글을 쓰셨고, 그들이 계속 질문하자 말씀하셨습니다."너희 중에 죄 없는 자가 먼저 돌로 치라."그러자 나이 많은 자부터 하나씩 돌을 내려놓고 떠났습니다. 예수님은 그 여인에게 "너를 정죄하지 아니하노라. 가서 다시는 죄를 범하지 말라."라고 선언하셨습니다.

정죄한다는 것은 불명예와 형벌, 죽음의 심판을 내리는 것입니다. 유일하게 그 여인을 돌로 칠 권리가 있었던 예수님께서 그녀를 정죄하지 않으셨습니다. 우리가 죄인으로서 예수님께 정죄받지 않았는데, 예수님께서 정죄하지 않은 자들을 어떻게 우리가 정죄할 수 있겠습니까? 오히려 예수님은 오늘 우리가 다른 사람을 판단하지 말고, 우리 자신의 죄를 먼저 돌아보며 회개하도록 도전하십니다.

예수님은 우리가 다른 사람의 사소한 잘못을 비판하며 정죄하기보다는, 우리 자신의 죄와 악한 습관을 먼저 깨닫고 변화되기를 원하십니다. 예수님께서 우리를 정죄하지 않고 용서하신 그 자비로 회복하고 죄에서 벗어 나기를 원하십니다. 우리도 오늘 예수님 앞에 죄를 인정하고 회개를 하고 주님께서 허락하신 은혜 가운데 자유롭고 겸손한 삶을 누리기를 소망 합니다.

기도:

1. 하나님, 하나님께서 인정하시고 기뻐하시는 겸손한 삶을 사는 법을 가르쳐 주셔서 감사합니다.

2. 예수님, 저도 하나님의 완전함에 미치지 못했음을 깨닫고 은혜와 자비가 필요함을 알게 해주세요.

3. 성령님, 다른 사람을 판단하지 않고 먼저 저의 어두운 생각과 죄악을 버리도록 도와주세요.