Reading: Luke 6:37-42
A familiar passage; “Judge not and you will not be judged, condemn not and you will not be condemned, forgive and you will be forgiven, give and it will be given to you…” Ever noticed the
progression there? It moves from a passive, inner place/response to an active, outer place/response in our lives and faith. To judge and condemn reflects an internal journey of our heart and mind. It has to do with how we view others. In faith we recognize that all are created equal and loved equally in God’s eyes (Galatians 3). In faith we also recognize we must move from our inner journey to an outward expression our faith, to wit, forgiving and giving. Faith
cannot be lived in a vacuum, we enter a relationship with God through a saving faith in Jesus Christ and we become part of the body of Christ, the church. We are called then to live a holy life and serve God effectively. We are freed from the constraints and values of this world where they conflict with faith. The next part of the passage gives us a clue to this journey: “Take the plank
out of your own eye”! Aside from a great example of God’s sense of humour, this reveals a crucial area of faith development. We must deal with our need to feel superior. We are all equal in God’s view, so our worth is not based in comparison to others, but in God’s valuation of us. He figures we’re worth dying for! Yet this world often calls us to compare and rate, for as long as we are better than some, or maybe not as bad as some, we have a position from which to grade ourselves. Let us move past that, ceasing to judge and condemn in order to establish our sense of place. Let us move toward forgiving others (building and reconciling relationships) and giving of our selves to minister to this world and prepare for the next.
May you, as you ponder God’s great love for you and acceptance of you, grow in faith, hope and love. May your inner journey bring peace and reconciliation through salvation in Jesus Christ, and your outer journey lead to a benefit to the Kingdom of God!
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