If It Walks Like a Duck …

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “If it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck, then it must be a duck.”  Right?  So, that means that Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson must be a judgmental person, right?  After all, if you believe everything that you read and everything that you hear, it sure sounds like Mr. Robertson has been walking and talking like a judgmental person … but has he really?

Both on television and in print I’ve read and heard it said that he made a blanket statement to the effect that all homosexuals are going to go to hell.  In other words, he passed judgment on them.  Furthermore, it has then been pointed out that in doing so he actually violated the very Scriptures that he says he believes in.  Jesus says that we shouldn’t judge others, because if we do then we may find that we ourselves will be judged as well.  So if Jesus says we shouldn’t judge others, then I suppose we probably shouldn’t judge others.

When it comes to something somebody has said or somebody has written, context if everything.  So what’s the context within which Jesus was speaking?  In Matthew 7:1-4, Jesus says, “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.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

You see, context is everything.  Jesus was not saying don’t judge … He was saying be careful when you do judge.  If you’re going to judge someone, make sure that you’re not guilty of the very same thing.  Look to yourself first, before you judge someone else.  Be careful not to be a pot calling the kettle black.  Be careful not to throw stones if you live in a glass house.  Jesus was just telling people to be careful not to throw their judgments around lightly.  He wasn’t saying don’t judge … period.

It would be absolutely impossible to live life on any kind of normal basis without passing judgment.  How do you decide where to buy food without making some kind of judgment?  How do you buy a car with making a judgment?  How do you decide who to marry … or who not to marry without passing judgment?  How do you decide how large a tip to give the waiter or waitress after a meal without making a judgment?  Everything we do in life requires making a judgment … and oftentimes it is made on the basis of a judgment about a person.

So you see, passing judgment itself is not wrong.  If it were wrong then we would all be doing wrong things all the time.  The thing that’s wrong is passing judgment when you shouldn’t be, or if the judgment that you’re making is simply a flat out wrong judgment.  So now let’s get back to Mr. Robertson and his statement about homosexuals.  If Mr. Robertson is to be faulted as being judgmental, it’s only because he started with homosexuals … but he didn’t stay there.

In answer to the question, “What, in your mind, is sinful?” Phil said, “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there.”  He then he went on to paraphrase 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 which says, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

All Phil Robertson was ultimately doing was quoting Scripture.  So, I’m not sure it’s fair to call him judgmental.  It might be fair to call God judgmental, but not Phil.  But that should be no surprise to anybody.  It’s long been known that the Bible teaches that one day there is going to be a judgment.  In fact, the Bible actually teaches that one day there are going to be two resurrections and two judgments.  And it says that those who are to be blessed are those who are a part of the first resurrection.  It’s the second resurrection and judgment you don’t want to be a part of … check it out in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 20 … but first, stop judging Phil Robertson.