Sitting in the Right Seat

In an American civil court, the furniture typically includes items to seat a prosecuting attorney, a defense attorney, a witness, a jury, a judge, a reporter, and a bailiff.

This complex environment has been created so that if someone has a complaint, it can be heard and judged and answered. When a court case is begun in this kind of court, the entity launching the case presents a document to the court which is titled “complaint,” in fact. The design is partly based on laws Yahweh gave Moses to empower him to govern Israelis.

Our minds are set to use some of the same furniture and process when we have some complaint about someone. We could be in the position of the accuser. If we hear someone accusing someone else, we could be in the position of the defense of the accused. We could be deciding as the jury whether someone is guilty of something or not. We might decide what they deserve, sitting in the judge’s seat.

We must make judgments. When Jesus warned people about making judgments, He was informing them that the measure they used would be used to judge them. If you are going to help a person get a splinter out of their eye, get the plank out of yours first. Then, you will be able to see clearly how to find their splinter and free them of it. His instruction was not “don’t look for splinters.” It wasn’t “don’t help people get splinters out.” It was, “Get rid of your crap so you can be better at helping someone else get rid of theirs.” (Matthew 7:1-5 Dougie Version©)

When you are taking someone to a mental court, or declaring your discontent with them publicly, be sure you are seated in the section of the court where you belong, and be sure that authority and righteousness are both in your possession as you pursue the responsibility the seat gives you. Righteousness and Justice are foundational to the throne of Jesus; grace and truth are His servants (Psalm 89:15). You are also creating the precedent for how you will be judged. Do a good job of it.