Today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6 is one of the most difficult in all of Scripture. Not difficult to understand; it is quite simple, really – but difficult to live out. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
We’re so often harsh in what we measure out others. Yet we expect God to treat us differently. We judge others harshly, but expect God to judge us lightly. We condemn others, but expect God to go easy on us. We refuse to forgive, yet we expect forgiveness. We’re stingy with others, but we expect God to be generous with us. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. God is a just judge, and the scales of justice will balance out.
Father, we’re so sorry for how harsh we are with others. Help us today to be loving, compassionate and merciful. Amen.
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Judging and condemning are a part of humanity. That is what we do everyday. But we should not remove this from our lives under the pretext that it should not be done at all. We are to judge and condemn as we walk in leading and acting as righteous Christians. We have to point out the sin and provide the proper example to those we judge and condemn.
Do as I say AND as I do (righteously).