Stop Judging Others

Scripture: Luke 6:37-38

37 “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. 38 If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you.”  (Luke 6:37-38 NLT)

Jesus is following the same theme as in yesterday’s reading about loving our enemies: “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”  But here, he’s making the “Who’s in control?” point even more clear and specific. We can control the narrative by taking initiative rather than being at the mercy of people who have no mercy!

It’s really hard not to judge others! Whether it’s because they don’t use their turn signals to indicate when they’re exiting from a roundabout, or whether they are following me too closely when there’s snow or ice on the road, or whether they take up two parking places in a crowded parking lot, it’s hard not to judge! And it’s strange that so many of my “judgements” of others have to do with driving! And criticizing! And forgiving offenses large and small!

Jesus simply says: Don’t judge others, and you will not be judged. Don’t criticize others, and you will not be criticized. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. The implication in Jesus’ words is that the reverse of the above is also true and is a consequence of our own action: Judge others, and you will be judged. Criticize others, and you will be criticized. Don’t forgive, and you will not be forgiven. Don’t give, and you will not receive.

This is more than “karma.” This is more than “What goes around comes around!” This is first a Christ-quality that is born in the spirit of every believer that produces an inner hunger and thirst to rise above the natural human selfishness and become like Jesus. Second, this is a spark of faith that believes that when we take the initiative to  think like Jesus thinks and act like Jesus acts, and give like Jesus gives, we set in motion the life-giving, soul-strengthening, spirit-refreshing grace of God.

Prayer:

Father, My spirit rejoices when I read and hear and see the heart of Jesus in his teachings. I hunger and thirst to live my life in daily action and interaction the way Jesus says it can be. Please help me to live above natural selfishness and taste the joys of living from the spirit. I’m willing to listen to Jesus and I’m willing to have my heart changed to be like Jesus’ heart. For your Kingdom’s sake, Amen!