Compared to Whom

“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.”    —Matthew 7:1-2

When my son built his house a few years ago, he financed it with a home equity loan. He already owned the land and did most of the work himself. Actually he built a big garage with a one bedroom apartment attached, a real redneck bachelor pad. Later, when the interest rates dropped, he tried to get a regular mortgage at a lower rate. The bank would not approve the loan because it could not get an appraisal. There were no comps.

“Comps” or comparables refer to what other properties of similar type and size have recently sold for. There were no newly constructed, big garages with attached one bedroom apartments sold recently in the mountains of Somerset County. Isn’t it sad that the world judges each of our houses as they compare with everyone else’s? Talk about keeping up with the Joneses.

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). But, we like to be judged by comparing ourselves to others. One reason is that we are blind to our own faults. Jesus criticizes us for seeing the speck of dirt in our brother’s eyes when we have a huge plank in our own eye. It is an easy thing to see the faults in others and miss them in ourselves. So when we think we are comparing ourselves to others, we are not.

Secondly, we can always find someone worse than we are. In a positive way, when someone is trying to cope with a difficult situation in their life, they often say, “There are many others worse off than I am.” Morally, there are always worse sinners.  I used to think I was basically a good person. Upon reflection, I thought so because I was comparing myself to the worst in human nature: bank robbers, murderers, and child molesters.

Only when we begin to compare ourselves with Jesus Christ do we realize how much wrong there is within us. C. S. Lewis wrote of his experience. “For the first time I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was Legion” (Surprised by Joy). The Scripture says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:10-11). Along side Jesus Christ, we realize all are lost. The bad news of the Gospel is that we have all sinned and the wage for those sins is death (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Compared to holy perfection, we all fall short.

The Good News of the Gospel is that God judges us looking through the Cross of Christ. Romans 6:23 goes on to say, “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” If we stop comparing ourselves to others and admit we have sinned, then we can turn to God and ask for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Jesus has promised, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, NKJV).

Have you been comparing yourself to others? It goes directly against the teachings of Jesus and brings neither lasting joy nor hope of eternal life. Begin today to compare yourself to Jesus Christ. As God reveals your sin and brokenness, call upon the Lord. He will in no way reject you.