Judge None... Love All

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. ” – Luke 6:37

How many times have we laid eyes on someone and in less than five seconds we’ve already made a decision of whether we like them or not? How many times have we been so quick to judge someone based on their outward looks, their past, their faults, their position in the society or what you heard about them based on someone else’s opinion?

In the gospel of John 8:3-11, a group of Pharisees and scribes brought a woman before Jesus whom they had caught in the very act of adultery. According to the Laws of Moses, if a person commits adultery the punishment was death by stoning. The Pharisees and scribes did this to test Jesus in order to find something to accuse Him on. They asked Jesus what they should do to the woman. And Jesus replied, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” The men who accused and condemned the woman; begun to leave one by one until Jesus was only left with the woman. When Jesus saw no one was left, He said, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?”

Very often, we become so quick to judging other people. We only see their faults, their past, what’s wrong with them, what they didn’t do right and yet we forget we are neither perfect. We are not called to judge but to love. We can never judge justly. Judgment is only reserved for God. We judge other people because we don’t take time to understand their journey, what they are going through and the sacrifices they have made. If we could only walk a mile in their shoes, then we wouldn’t be so quick to throw stones at them.

Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?” How many times have we seen other people’s faults and thought we are the only perfect people in the world? It is important that we don’t judge other people by our own standards. Jesus teaches us to first remove the plank from our own eye in order to see clearly the speck in the other person’s eye. Before we condemn and judge other people, let us deal with our own faults first.

Judging other people is something that we’ve trained ourselves to do. It is also possible to retrain ourselves in loving other people rather than judging. How do we make a change in our character? When tempted to judge other people, instead of seeing their faults; be quick to see the good in them. Judging people create barriers; but seeing the good in them, and celebrating their good breaks such barriers. Find something that is good about them, focus on that and let them know about it. As Jesus encourages us to love our enemies, we should make the effort to love those who seem unlovable.

Secondly, to avoid judging other people, it is important that you get out of other people’s business. We are taught not to be like the Pharisees and scribes who spied on the woman that committed adultery. It will save you a lot of trouble if you could only mind your own business rather than stepping into other people’s business. Be on a mission to build your character rather than being on a fault finding mission in other people’s lives.

Thirdly, when tempted to judge and condemn show mercy, forgive and be good to them. The only way to overcome evil is with good. What good is it for you when you go around judging and condemning others? Mother Teresa puts it, “If you judge people, you really have no time to love.” If you really don’t want to be judged and condemned, then likewise do not judge nor condemn others. “Just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31

It is my prayers today; that you will resist the temptation to judge and condemn other people and be quick to see the good in them. Rather than being judgmental, show mercy, and be forgiving to others just as God is merciful and forgiving to us when err and confess our sins. Be Blessed.