Luke 6:37 (NIV)
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
How many times have you heard someone use this verse as a weapon? “Oh,” the world tells us, “You can’t judge me. You can’t judge right from wrong. You can’t tell me I’m doing something against God’s will. If you judge me, God will judge you. You can’t judge and be a Christian!” But is this really what this verse is talking about? No!
We make judgments about things all the time because we make choices all the time. In order to make a choice, you have to judge the outcomes of the choice. As a Christian, we are to judge everything against the word of God. If it’s in keeping with the Word, it is judged to be true, correct, and wise. If it goes against the Word, we’re to throw it out, cast it down, discard it.
So what is this verse really saying? Luke 6:37 in the Message translation makes it a bit more clear:
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
It is about judging right from wrong. Instead, it’s about the Golden Rule. Don’t judge people with strict religious requirements or a negative spirit because when your sins are held up to the light you want mercy. Don’t condemn someone else for their sin because you don’t want to be condemned for your own mistakes. Forgive others because you want God and others to forgive you.
We don’t want anything to separate us from God. We don’t want a critical spirit to keep us from enjoying our life and from having a right relationship with God. God cares a lot about how we treat others. That doesn’t mean we don’t gently correct someone who is living in willful sin. We do. We correct them because we love them too much to allow them to do something that can have such lasting negative eternal consequences, but we don’t judge, criticize or condemn them. Shame and condemnation are not motivators of change. Instead, we love and encourage them to let God do His work in their lives.
Father, I thank you that you know we need to hear things over and over again before we get them into our memories and into our hearts. Father, you told us in the Golden Rule that we are to treat others the way we want to be treated. This is just another way to show that. God, we don’t want to be judged harshly. We don’t want to be criticized. We definitely do not wish to be condemned. Father, we desire forgiveness, love, and mercy. Help me to offer these things to others in the same measure that I expect to receive them in my own life. Help me to give as freely as you give. Help me to be more like you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Beautiful Mess 