Trinity IV- Luke 6:37

This Sunday's Gospel is from St. Luke 6. This selection is from a section of Luke that is parallel to much of the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew. One of the sayings of our Lord is “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (Luke 6:37). These apparently simple words of Scripture are not always easy to apply. In practical terms, we know that no human being could survive in daily life without making certain judgments about health and safety. And even in moral and spiritual matters, people must make practical judgments.

So Scripture does not prohibit certain types of judging. The Lord does not forbid us from forming reasonable opinions about things or people. Neither does the Bible abolish the legal process; instead, it promotes higher standards of fairness. In fact, Christ urges His followers to have high standards in judging. In John 7:24, He says, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” Christians are called to seek a better way. Whether in practical matters or in religious and moral matters, we should seek righteousness. We should try to look beyond worldly appearances, and we should reflect God’s holiness, mercy, and grace in our judgments.

Nevertheless, Scripture does prohibit some kinds of judgment.. Christians must recognize their human limitations and avoid judging in certain ways. We must not judge hastily or unfairly. We must not judge harshly or unmercifully. And we must not presume that even our best human judgments always live up to divine standards.

Even at our human best, we are not competent ot judge the ultimate fate of other souls. As neighbors, relatives, parents, teachers, pastors, jurors, or magistrates, we only know part of the story. Although we must make some practical judgments, such judgments remain provisional. Only God is the perfect judge who finally evaluates each individual soul. So let us always seek to evaluate situations and people with humility, wisdom, fairness, and mercy, and let us not assume that our human ideas always reflect God's perspective.

Trinity III- Luke 15:1-10

 The Gospel for the Third Sunday after Trinity is Luke 15:1-10, and it contains two brief parables- about the lost sheep and about the lost coin. In this context, our Lord is talking about sinners lost to God. Although many contemporary people resist such descriptions, Scripture in general and our passage in particular are clear that at some points in this life, all human beings are lost. We need finding and saving by divine grace. As the daily general confession in the Book of Common Prayer says, "We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep" (based on Isaiah 53:6 and 1 Peter 2:25). 

Such human lostness has two important applications in our lives. First, each of us needs to admit that at different times, we have all been lost. We also need to acknowledge our tendency to get lost repeatedly. So we all depend upon God's mercy, grace, and persistence in seeking us out-- in the past, in the present, and in each new day. 

Secondly, in addition to being sought by God, as Christians, we are called to participate in the Lord's work of seeking and finding the lost. We are asked to be lowly instruments of God's grace. We have benefited from the mercy and grace of God, and we want to share that good news with others. We want each lost person to be found. We want all people to know the joy of returning to God. May each of us be found by God, and may each of us humbly do our part to help others be found by God!

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary- 2 July- Luke 1:39-45

 The second day of July is a lesser feast or on traditional Anglican calendars, a "black letter day."  The day is the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Some calendars since the 1970's observe the Visitation on 31 May.)  Although in certain aspects a minor observance, the Visitation is a significant biblical commemoration. This significance is seen in the Gospel from St. Luke 1:39-45:

"And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."

This Gospel account contains several points. It shows the kinship of Mary and Elizabeth, as well as the devotional and theological ties between them and their sons. Elizabeth also points to the blessedness of Mary and the fruit of her womb. Note that even this early in the Christian story, Mary is called "the mother of my Lord." Mary's pregnancy is unique from the beginning; it is the Incarnation of our Lord, the Christ, God the Son. So it is certainly appropriate to recall this event and to meditate on the importance of the Incarnation and Mary's role in God's redeeming work.