This Sunday's Gospel from St. Luke 6 is from the Sermon on the Plain, a section similar to the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew. The selection contains many significant sayings of our Lord. One of them is very famous- “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (Luke 6:37). This important Christian principle has not always been easy to understand or to apply. On the one hand, it reminds us that human judgments are imperfect, especially when it comes to evaluating the attitudes, faith, and intentions of other people. We recognize that human beings often misjudge others. We may jump to false conclusions or be harsh. Even the best human judgments about another person are limited and fall short in some respects. So, we seek to have humble and open minds regarding other people and their standing before God.
On the other hand, in practical terms, we know that human beings must make certain judgments about health and safety. Even in moral and spiritual matters, people must make some practical daily judgments. Both individuals and societies need to make decisions to protect themselves from unwise and bad behaviors. This reality is recognized by Jesus Himself in John 7:24. There, our Lord says, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
Thus, the verse about not judging from Luke 6:37 should be understood wisely and sensibly. Christians 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. However, we must value divine revelation and promote high moral and spiritual standards. We must humbly ask for divine help to follow righteous standards ourselves and encourage others to do the same. We seek to be merciful, fair, and reasonable in our opinions about human beings and their behaviors. Above all, we strive to treat others as we would like to be treated.
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