I would like to take this verse from a more positive angle -open yourself to new ways of thinking about others and their ways.  Even in Christian communities we judge the way others worship, their music, their churches.  Challenge yourself to listen to Christian rock music (Newsboys on YouTube) or to traditional Christian music (Abbess Hildegard of Bingen).  Visit a church from a different denomination, a ‘new’ church such as the Vineyard Church or Forest Town Church or the Cathedral - Sunday evensong is incredibly tranquil.  Experience the Holy Spirit wherever you are.

We can judge the action, but not the person.  We need to retain a strong sense of right and wrong, but we can never determine the true motive in a person’s mind.

We can judge the action, but not the person.  We need to retain a strong sense of right and wrong, but we can never determine the true motive in a person’s mind.

The presiding bishop of the German Lutheran Church has just resigned after being arrested for drink driving and going through a red light. She has expressed her horror at her own actions and her sorrow; but has she been driven into resignation by condemnation and judgement. It seems very sad.

I started Jury Service on Ash Wednesday.  The message on the 18th way from Luke 14.18 “Jesus said ‘God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives…..’”, today’s message from Luke 6.37 is “Jesus said ‘Do not judge….’”.  Is God intervening on behalf of the defendant?

I find it so easy to judge and condemn others, and so difficult to forgive those who do the same to me.  Lord, forgive my judgement of others, and be merciful to me; do not condemn me as I deserve, but give me the strength and wisdom to change they way that I behave. Amen.

Forgiving my enemies is not my toughest chalenge.  It is hardest when I perceive someone I love has hurt me.  My first reaction is to hug the perceived hurt to myself to justify my defensive reaction of judging them for letting me down. Oh, how good that can feel, and how superior I can feel as I justify my sense of outrage and betrayal by judging them. Battling against this temptation has been my toughest never-ending challenge in recent years . But, praise God, He is winning!

“I forgive you” - so easy to say, yet I am finding it so hard to live out that forgiveness, with my whole heart. I pray that I may keep these words of Jesus in my mind and in my heart, that those who have hurt me may feel truly forgiven and that it may be the start of a better way of living, without bitterness and anger.

One of the keys to having Godly self acceptance is not to constantly measure ourself against others ‘they are so much better than I am’ ‘I will never be as good as….’ etc etc. Jesus’ wisdom does not just speak to our external behaviour but recognises our need to be accepted, perhaps an alternative reading might be ‘do not judge yourself,  and you will not judge;do not condemn yourself and you will not condemn. Forgive yourself and you will be forgiving.’ Knowing that we are made acceptable by Christ’ transforming love opens the door for us to be more forgiving. Changed from the inside out.

This instruction of Jesus really needs to be worked at. Forgiving, not criticising, not condemning does not bring the immediate rewards that we humans look for. Sometimes you have to wait years before your attitude is reciprocated. So we have to trust that these things will happen in God’s time.

The temptation to judge others is everywhere.  Even reading the comments of others on this fine website I find myself tempted to judge and condemn, rather than enjoy the diversity that is here.  Lord, forgive my judgement of others, and be merciful to me; do not condemn me as I deserve. Amen.

to me this all speaks of acceptance. Jesus has accepted and loves all of us for who we are, and we need to try our best to accept asnd love all those around us. Easy to say hard to do!

I am studying with others who work in a very different way to me. It is very easy for me to get irritated when they moan about the workload. I don’t critise them openly but do get very annoyed in my thoughts. I will pray and try today to not judge them because they work in a different way to me. They are still God’s children just as I am