“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
~Luke 6:37-38
We are so quick to judge others today. We're so quick to condemn. We are so slow to forgive. I've never seen things the way they are today. The complete opposite of what Jesus taught is what we're seeing today.
We talk so much about being "tolerant." But then we're only tolerant of people exactly like us.
We talk so much about being "inclusive." And we accomplish that by dividing and excluding entire groups of people based on factors they have no control over.
We talk about being understanding and forgiving and kind and generous. But we only show these things to people we like.
We talk about love, but then we only show it to people that say what we want them to say, do what we want them to do, and believe exactly what we believe.
It would do us all good to read Luke Chapter 6. Jesus teaches specifically about many of the things we're getting so terribly wrong today. Have a look at what he says in verses 32-36.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."Love means love. Love means everybody. Not just those we like. Not just those we prefer. Not just those that agree with us. Not just those love us back. Love means we see people as God sees them. Equally. The same. As having value.
In the end we're going to get what we've given in this life. You have to stop and ask yourself if that's what you really want! Would that be pleasing to you? To be treated like you treat others? To be judged like you judge others. To have the same set of standards applied to you that you apply to others?
In other words, would you be willing to take what you dish out on a daily basis? Because literally, that's what the Bible says is going to happen. We're going to get what we give. And for some that's going to mean a tremendous reward. And for others it might be mirror showing just how ugly we've been far to late to change it.
"For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Maybe it's time to start thinking about that. How do you treat others? How to do view others? Do you treat people the same? Or are you all those good things to those you like, and not so wonderful and kind and patient to people you don't?
~Todd E. Creason
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