Judgement by Art

Judgment by Art

                An art teacher called his class together to give them a unique assignment. “I want each of you to paint a picture of me. When you finish, I will reward you according to your effort.” 

                The class members looked anxiously at one another. They were afraid—afraid they couldn’t justly portray their teacher, a master in art. Seeing their fear, the teacher spoke kindly. “Don’t be afraid to do this. You may fear an inaccurate portrayal of my features, but I am not looking for perfection. I know your rendering won’t be perfect, but I want to see what I have instilled in you these many months I have been teaching you. I want your work to reflect your heart.”

                Then, taking paper and paints, the teacher distributed them equally among the class so no one was either better supplied or less supplied than the others. “Now each of you has the same paper and paints. Each of you has the tools needed to perform your task. Do your best with what you have.” 

                One student raised his hand. “Yes, but some of us are more skilled than others. They will undoubtedly illustrate your features more accurately than the rest of us will.”

                Smiling, the teacher gently responded. “The perfectly painted picture is not one that copies the outward appearance of the original. It’s the one that portrays the model’s character and heart.” 

                The students were quiet as they considered their teacher’s words. Finally, one spoke up. “What will you judge our work on?” 

                 “Your painting will be judged on the effort behind your work. I already know your individual skill levels. The effort you put forth will reveal your heart.”  

                The teacher continued his instructions. “When you are finished with your drawing, trade papers with the person sitting next to you. You will judge each other’s papers before I make the final judgment.” 

                The students eyed one another apprehensively. It was one thing to have the teacher judge their work. He understood their struggles and was compassionate, but their fellow students would surely be more judgmental. Those with more artistic talent would likely fail those who had less.

                “One more thing,” explained the teacher. “You will put your name on the paper when you are finished, and the one who judges your paper will put his or her name right below yours along with their judgment of your painting. The way you judge your classmate’s drawing will influence how I judge yours. Be careful how you judge.” 

                The students forged ahead on their assignment. Many had a passion to bring out the teacher’s character in their work. Some focused on perfecting the image. Some concentrated on the background. Some could only see the care and compassion their teacher had shown them. A few finished quickly. Others worked for many days. One in particular struggled until the last moment, and even then, many thought his drawing was lacking and unimportant.

                The drawings were finished. The peer judgments were made and recorded. And now it was time for the final judgment by their teacher.

                As the students gathered, the teacher stood before them and asked each one to bring their papers to him. He studied them and graded them as he alone could. He considered the skill of the student, the effort put into it, and the judgment passed on their fellow student.

                At last, the teacher indicated he was finished and called the students before him. Something had changed. The undercurrent in the room was different. The teacher did not appear as soft and kind as he had before. His somber countenance portrayed an air of serious judgment. A feeling of restlessness stirred among the students as many began to fear they had not done enough to ensure even a passing grade.

                Finally, the teacher spoke. “Why are you so apprehensive? If you have done your best and been diligent, you need not fear,” he said. “But if I was not worthy of your best effort, then I must judge you for that. You see, before I was your teacher, but now I must be your judge.”

                So he began. First, the teacher called before him the one who had struggled so hard. He looked on the student with compassion. On the surface, the artwork was far from masterful. There were smudges around the painting, and it was clearly not the work of an excellent artist. The teacher looked up and noted the sadness on the face of the student. “What is it, son? Why do you look so fearful?” 

                “Oh, my teacher,” exclaimed the student. “I have done so poorly at representing you in my art. You have been so kind to me and I wanted to show you great honor through this painting. But, as you can see, I just don’t have the skill to do that.”

                The teacher smiled, and a tear slipped from his eye. “My son, you have done more than any skilled artist could to honor me. I have watched you labor without measure to bring a worthy work before me. You have done more than any other because you gave your heart. You have brought me much glory in this work. 

                Your fellow students also saw the effort you were willing to put into this, even though you knew you didn’t have the skill to illustrate my features perfectly. But you labored on and willingly sacrificed your time and reputation for me. I am honored more by this than any work of art. I am not looking for perfection on the outside. I am looking at the character and devotion on the inside. 

                Even more notable is the compassion with which you have judged your fellow student. You looked for the good in his work. You praised the way it compliments my features. You did not focus on the imperfections. You extended grace to him. Thus it is with great joy that I give you the highest grade—my signature of approval. I want all to know this student has brought more honor to me than all. The least shall be the greatest.”

                And each one was thus judged according to his or her ability, but mostly by the way they had judged one another. Those who rendered harsh judgments were judged more severely. They received passing grades only through the grace and forgiveness of their teacher.

                But one did not pass. Ironically, he was the one they all thought would receive the highest grade. He had finished his work in mere hours, and it looked perfect to the rest of the students. But the teacher was not so pleased. “You have the greatest artistic ability, but you took the easy path. You hurriedly painted my face, but did not consider my heart. You did not think my honor worth the effort to spend time bringing out the love in my eyes and the softness in my features. Instead, you have painted me as anyone in a crowd, not as your teacher. Shouldn’t you have given me a distinct look, one that shows respect? You see, you of all the students had the ability to paint my features in a way that would have brought out all my character traits, but you chose not to honor me with your effort. I find you guilty of slackness and unworthy to receive the same grade as those who expended great effort to honor me. 

                “And even more, my son, I have before me your judgment of your fellow student—one who has labored to the end to honor me. You have noted every error you could find. Not once have you recognized the effort or the heartfelt quality in his work. In fact, you have noted that your fellow student should not be approved as an artist of credibility. You have disregarded my command to judge as you want to be judged, and I will judge you by your own hand. You alone have received a failing grade, and I find you unworthy of this institute of art.”

                Shock rippled through the students when they heard their teacher’s judgment. Then they began to realize they were acceptable, not because of their skill but because of the effort each was willing to give in honor of their teacher. And when they judged their fellow students with grace, their teacher in turn showed them grace. They were humbled that the teacher accepted them as worthy artists—not because of their skill but because of his grace.

                In a classroom where one can receive failing grades, make a change, and have a second chance at a passing grade, the consequences are small. But in the classroom of life where judgment is final, we best heed the words in God’s Word. They are final.

We cannot earn our way to heaven with our good works. We are only saved by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting him as Lord and Savior.

But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of
the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins,
giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”
Titus 3:4-5 NLT

Our focus in life should always be on honoring him and his plan for our lives.

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

We should treat others as we want to be treated. We should judge others with the same grace Jesus has extended to us. Just as our heavenly father encourages us, we should encourage others and so bring out the best in them.

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
Ephesians 4:29 NLT