Court Adjourned!

     When we desire an attempt at sharing a deeply embarrassing secret to another, the response of the person listening can have enormous ramifications. For example, if we find the person we are sharing with even slightly judgmental and condescending, we will withdraw quickly and resist sharing any further with them. Additionally, we will become injured and that injury will make us wary of sharing sensitive information with anyone else. We no longer feel safe.
     My experiences in small group has taught me the intrinsic value of a safe atmosphere, one of real and authentic caring. A safe environment, however, is not something we happen to walk into by accident. That kind of place is one fostered through intentional and deliberate choices. We learn to develop healthy boundaries and appropriate behaviors which nurture the feeling of being safe. Our hearts long to be in the presence of those who really have our interests in mind.
     There are a couple of verse in the Bible I think can help us understand the importance God places on our ability to honestly share deep places within us in a safe place. As we consider, let us be conscientious of the destructive nature of judgmental and condescending attitudes.

“…confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

- James 5:16 NIV

     Think for a moment with me. To confess a sin means to share a secret that has been hidden in the dark. It is to reveal something deeply troubling about oneself, causing embarrassment and shame. It is to disclose something very personal, causing us to feel transparent and vulnerable to vicious attacks. To confess our sins to another is profoundly risky and dangerous.
     So, has God done anything to help us in this? Yes. Listen to the words found in Isaiah 53:5:

“…he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

     Simply put, God has held court. He afflicted his Son through the burden of judgment and condemnation for our transgressions, our iniquities. In other words, God legally placed the penalty of our own sins upon Christ. Therefore, for anyone to attempt to be judgmental and condescending is in violation of God’s legal action. How is that so? Paul writes,

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ…”

- Romans 8:1 NIV

     He later mentions that no one - not even Satan himself - has the legal right to hold anything against us! If God has acquitted us, then we are acquitted! From this perspective, we can perceive Jesus’ last words to include the meaning, “Court adjourned!” “It is finished” is a formal declaration of our acquittal. Jesus’ death is the dropping of the gavel. His resurrection is the institution of something new, something wonderfully beautiful and new. Moreover, Jesus is the second person of the God-head and, in that position, has the authority to make such a legal claim.
     If you ever find yourself being the recipient of judgmental and condescending remarks, please be aware that their words are in violation of the highest court’s ruling and thereby subject to the charges of both perjury and contempt. In God’s eyes, judgmental and condescending attitudes and comments are very serious offenses. And if we find ourselves to be the one judging and condescending, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous! He is compassionately merciful!