How tall are you? I'm a teacher, and if you were my student you'd know. You'd also know your classmates' heights, because what my students do is measure each other. They first learn the metric system: 10 millimetres = 1 centimetre; 10 centimetres = 1 decimeter; 10 decimeters = 1 metre. Then they measure each other. Finally, they bar graph the heights, even mine! Everyone soon learns who's the shortest and tallest in the class and how many centimetres shorter one is from the other.

Children, did you know we measure each other another way? We measure each other's badness. We take God's law and with it we make up a measuring system; let's say 10 millibad = 1 bad; 10 bads = 1 super bad; and 10 super bads = 1 super duper bad. Then we watch and listen to others, especially those we hate. By what they say or do we measure their badness. Then we bar graph their badnesses (especially of those we hate). We show others who we've measured. Obnoxious Jack, now he's 8 super bad, 2 bad, 3 millibad long. Catty Sue, she's 2 super duper bad, 1 bad, 2-1/2 millibads long! Usually, we don't tell everyone. We carefully select our friends. When we're with the right friends, in the right room, we tell them what we've heard or seen our measured one do or say.

This is measurement of the worst kind. Who told you or I to use God's law for measuring that way? The law was designed for love and obedience, not for proud measuring! This kind of measuringt God calls judging. Hear what Jesus said:

Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again (Matthew 7:1,2).

The problem with our measuring is not that our measurements are wrong (though often exaggerated); it's that we measure to hate and, in pride, make ourselves look better than another. Also, we can measure the length, but we can't measure the depth of others, namely, their hearts. We're like springs or wells. We can see the water coming out of the well and taste its water, but we can't see where it comes from or how deep it is. Only, we can see and God does measure our depth and length of badness. And what are the results? Our depth is our heart which God measures and says:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;

who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins,

even to give every man according to his ways, and according to

the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:9,10).

What we see and hear in others is only the tip of evil in everyone's heart. When we honestly measure ourselves, we not only see our sins to be the same as others, we recognize the sins which we don't show on the outside, and we realize we are one lump of sin. Our pride should make us ashamed before God, so that we consider ourselves worse than others, not better.

Children, God warns us of the judgment day when gossip will stop and every man will be judged by how he has measured others. If we have not measured ourselves, depth and length, and we have rejected the pure spring of living water, Jesus, hell will be the just place for self-righteous measurers. The Bible says:

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy: who art

thou that judgest another? (James 4:12)

Measurer, measure yourself!