Both sides must be heard
True Justice cannot be established unless both sides of the situation are heard. Sometimes even enough time needs to be given for truth of the matter to be unfolded.
We have to keep in mind that generally both sides have issues to work on and most of the time the situation is not one-sided. People can perceive and see a lot of things, but ultimately as a just person we can’t deal with people on a subjective level trying to figure out their motives or prophetically label someone when there is no evidence to back it up. We’re called to evaluate the situation objectively and impartially based on the facts given by both sides.
You may ask, “How can I know both sides since only one of the parties told me their story?” If you have not been picked by both people to judge the situation, then you don’t have the place to judge the situation. Someone has crossed the line to get you involved, and the best thing to do is to encourage that person to follow Matthew 18:15 and talk to the other person. If that doesn’t work, they can involve someone that both sides respect to be a mediator. If you are drawing judgment on a situation without hearing both sides or being invited by both sides you are involved in gossip, not justice!!!
Sometimes people want to speak to us and get our advise or counsel in how to handle a situation. First of all, we need make sure it’s not turning into a gossip or venting session. Also, since we’re only hearing one side of the story, we have to be careful not to assume that we have all the facts or that the issues are expressed and communicated objectively. We have to leave room for the unknown element which is the other person’s view/story. It requires caution counseling someone in those situations. This is especially dangerous in advising/counseling a married person when you haven’t heard their spouse’s side of the story.
Solomon was a good model of judging justly
Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”1Kings 3:9
Solomon prayed for an understanding heart to judge the people of God. Having an understanding heart is being thoughtful, empathetic, and considerate of others. It’s also having extra sensitivity to the needs of others and trying to put ourselves in somebody else’s shoes.
Solomon understood that stewarding the assignment is a huge undertaking because he is dealing with God’s people who are His special treasure. When we look at people as His treasure, we will evaluate them differently. Jesus was willing to die for a sinful world. The scriptures says, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8b We need to ask God to give us eyes to see people’s value in spite of their sin, so we can judge them soundly.
Are you willing to be evaluated based on your standard of judgment!?
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:37-38
The last thing we need to consider, is that judging is not something we should easily or casually get involved in. It has a high price associated with it. For the scripture says that with the same measure that we use, it will be measured back to us. An analogy for this would be if we set a new law for our city and decide that anyone speeding should go to jail for a day. Well, that sounds great and makes us feel safe until we cross that line and are caught speeding. Now the same law that we established for others, we will be judged according to it to as well. It’s a good reminder of Jesus commanding us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” We have to make the effort to put ourselves in that situation and ask the question, “How do I want to be treated or judged if I were in that situation?
If we want to be influencers in our society and affect change, we need to be standard bearers for true justice. While our legal system has many issues to work on, there are actually some things we can learn from it in this area.
When was the last time you put your own personal preferences aside and took pains to really understand both sides of the story before drawing a conclusion? Let’s each of us take the responsibility to be just and impartial people.