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.