Buying Green Bananas
Judgment and Redemption…
Two themes that tango through the pages of scripture from start to
finish. Two themes that tango through
the streets of our lives with opposing appeal.

The security guy who took my pocket knife keychain was
nice enough to direct me: “Up three
floors and down the hall, you’ll see signs.”
That seems helpful, I thought. Half dozen inquiries later I arrived in a
wide hall to find two sets of large double doors opposite each other:
On the left, Courtroom 1 – Judge Ira Uhrig
On the right, Courtroom 3 – Judge Charles R. Snyder.
For some reason I thought I recalled hearing that the
proceedings would be in courtroom 1 with Judge Snyder. Hmmm. Those don’t match, I thought. I skipped the coin flip and chose courtroom 1
on the left.
I quietly opened the door and realized immediately I picked
the wrong room. It was packed. Standing room only. Lots of folks in street clothes or cheap
suits. Along one wall was a row of
police officers in full uniform. The
bench right in front was full-up with men dressed in bland blue jumpers with
“WCJ” printed in bold black letters across their backs. There was murmuring and people shuffling about
nervously and a couple of mom’s trying to keep their babies quiet. The air was thick and stuffy. I needed to breathe so I backed out the door. As I did, Judge Uhrig lowered his gavel on
the sounding block. My shoulders jerked
and I winced. Judgment in the courtroom on
the left.
As I turned I spotted a lady across the hall standing by
the door to courtroom 3; the one that was on the right. She was dressed well with a lovely crown of
white hair and a kind disposition. She
smiled at me. Surely she read my face
and realized my error. “Are you here for
an adoption proceeding?” she asked.
“Yes, I am…Jeff and Trista.”
She glanced at her list.
“They’re scheduled for 9:15 with Judge Snyder. You may wait here,” she said, still
smiling. She gestured toward a long
wooden bench near her door. I checked
the time on my phone. I was early, so I
settled in and waited.
Not a minute later a family and several others, along
with not a few kids, came bounding out the door next to me. They were electric. Joy wasn’t just on their faces, it was in
their feet and their hands. I couldn’t
help but smile along with them.
As they left the wide hall another family and several
others entered with a single little boy, hair as red as a fire truck and a grin
wider than his cheeks. They also were
electric. Pure happy all over them as
they disappeared into courtroom 3. Several
minutes later they emerged in similar form as the previous family.
Finally it was time.
Jeff and Trista, and their family, along with me and a few others filed
into courtroom 3. It was mostly
empty. The air was light and fresh. We all stood as Judge Snyder entered. He skipped his bench and came right to the
table where Jeff and Trista stood with their son, and Ben and Kate. The kids were dressed superbly. The attorney read over the highlights of the
adoption petition while asking a few obvious questions. I took a few pics on my phone. Judge Snyder commended the nearly new parents
and promptly signed the papers declaring Ben and Kate legally adopted. He smiled pleasantly, the way you hope a
judge smiles when he’s at home or on vacation or otherwise enjoying himself,
then gathered the new family of five together with him for pictures. Redemption in the courtroom on the right.
It wasn’t until later in the day that I realized the irony
of the morning. You’ve probably already
caught on.
Criminal
court on the left. Permissible court on
the right.
Rights
revoked on the left. Rights bestowed on
the right.
Accusations,
defense, evidence, arguments, indictments, verdicts; all on the left. Affirmation, commendation, confirmation, declaration;
all on the right.
Bondage on
the left. Freedom on the right.
Pain on the
left. Pleasure on the right.
Judgment on
the left. Redemption on the right.
I’m not sure how I’ve felt about the image in Matthew 25
where Jesus describes himself separating the sheep and the goats at the end of
the age. I really loved my pet goat
growing up. But of course this is much
less about Jesus condemning goats and more about him granting to those before
him precisely what their lives have been characterized by. Here’s the gist…
“Sheep, over here to my right, please.
Each of you has lived a life characterized by redemption in Christ. Come now and receive the fullness of my redemption.”
“Goats, over here to my left, now.
Each of you has lived a life characterized by judgment without Christ. Get out now and receive the fullness of my just
judgment.”
And I’m softening that last bit. Read it for yourself in verse 31-46. Judgment on the left. Redemption on the right. The parallel to my experience at the
courthouse was uncanny.
The whole thing got me thinking about the life I
live. Day-in and day-out, would others
say I’m characterized more by the qualities of redemption or judgment? The way I talk; my tone with others, is it
redemptive or judgmental? The way I
treat those of less desirable social status; redemptive or judgmental? The way I look at others or listen to others;
redemptive or judgmental.
Sheesh, I don’t
know. I think…I hope…they’d say I tend
toward the qualities of redemption?
What about you?
I don’t know if you’ve ever sat in a criminal courtroom
before. (I’ve been on the wrong end of
mitigation for a traffic violation once and that was enough for me. Now I just pay my tickets and move on.) Walking into courtroom 1 felt entirely out of
place for me. It’s not where I belonged,
nor is it anywhere I ever want to belong; either now with Judge Uhrig presiding
or at the end of the age with the King of Kings and eternal Son of God, Christ
Jesus himself, presiding.
Eventually, as I processed this unique irony from my day,
I landed in Galatians 4:4-5. Maybe
you’ve read it before…
“But when the
fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under
the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive
adoption as sons.”
In other words, at the perfect time; Christmas time even,
God sent Jesus Christ into courtroom 1 on the left to bear the heavy burden of
God’s own law and receive the fullness of just judgment on the cross so that I,
along with any of you reading, might move across the hall into courtroom 3 on
the right to bear the lightened burden of God’s grace and receive the fullness
of redemption as adopted sons and daughters.
So, I guess it’s in your court so to speak. It’s a wide hall, this life we live. There are many options and much to choose
from as we wander through the streets of our lives. Yet, at the end of the day, there will be
only judgment on the left and redemption on the right. Where will you be standing?

I think there will
be, there on the right side of the Lord Jesus Christ on that final day of
judgment and redemption, a heaping pile of green bananas for all those who have
finally received the fullness of their redemption; adoption as sons and
daughters of God the Father.
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