The Sermon on the Plain (5) Mercy and Judgment (Luke 6:36-38)
If followers of Jesus are to be characterized by a love that imitates God’s, we are also to imitate His mercy. The term used here by Luke—merciful—is only seen here and in James 5:11. It is a rather poetic word. However, the concept of mercy—especially as it relates to and describes God—is not rare. In the Old Testament the concept of God’s compassion and mercy is also seen in His “loving-kindness” and “steadfast love.” So, this idea fits well in the discussion of the disciples’ lives being characterized by love.
Here, Jesus talks about mercy being slow to judge. We are not called to ignore evil or to wink at the sin in others, however, we need to continue to love them and draw them near to God’s grace. We are not better than the world. We have been saved by grace from sin as well. The disciple should never be seen as “holier than thou” or disdainful towards the world. Compassion and mercy should be our stance. Jesus goes on to expound on this idea in five statements, two pairs of warnings and a promise:
“Do not judge…” This verse is possibly the most memorized in our culture today. The less known, “do not condemn” is less recognized, but a parallel. The idea here is not that believers should not have ethical standards nor recognize wrongs in the world. That is what people outside the faith want it to mean. However, it also DOES mean that believers should not dismiss wrong doers as being unworthy of the gospel, grace, and forgiveness God offers. Too many people in the faith have a self-righteous attitude toward the world. Clear evidence that they have misunderstood, forgotten, or ignored the meaning of the gospel message. This is especially important to remember, as Jesus says that we will be judged as we judge others. If we are self-righteous and condemn those around us, we too will stand condemned.
Instead, we are to, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” This is not a call to ignore sin and faults. Rather, it is the idea of not personally holding people’s sins over them. If we are wronged, we choose in our hearts to not hold that hurt inside us. We let it go. Sometimes we forgive things that are not being repented of. Relationship might not be restored. However, it is not because we are unwilling. We don’t condone sin, but we also don’t harbor hurt. In the same way as the previous pairing, we see that we will be forgiven as we forgive, and we will be given to as we give to others.
Finally, Jesus simply spells out a promise. We will be treated as we treat others. We will be forgiven in the same way that we forgive. The way we deal with our neighbors and people in our lives will come back to us “pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” More than a scary promise of getting all the bad we give out back on us—karma, we should see this a promise that we will be rewarded in the measure of the mercy and compassion we show others.
Here, Jesus talks about mercy being slow to judge. We are not called to ignore evil or to wink at the sin in others, however, we need to continue to love them and draw them near to God’s grace. We are not better than the world. We have been saved by grace from sin as well. The disciple should never be seen as “holier than thou” or disdainful towards the world. Compassion and mercy should be our stance. Jesus goes on to expound on this idea in five statements, two pairs of warnings and a promise:
“Do not judge…” This verse is possibly the most memorized in our culture today. The less known, “do not condemn” is less recognized, but a parallel. The idea here is not that believers should not have ethical standards nor recognize wrongs in the world. That is what people outside the faith want it to mean. However, it also DOES mean that believers should not dismiss wrong doers as being unworthy of the gospel, grace, and forgiveness God offers. Too many people in the faith have a self-righteous attitude toward the world. Clear evidence that they have misunderstood, forgotten, or ignored the meaning of the gospel message. This is especially important to remember, as Jesus says that we will be judged as we judge others. If we are self-righteous and condemn those around us, we too will stand condemned.
Instead, we are to, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” This is not a call to ignore sin and faults. Rather, it is the idea of not personally holding people’s sins over them. If we are wronged, we choose in our hearts to not hold that hurt inside us. We let it go. Sometimes we forgive things that are not being repented of. Relationship might not be restored. However, it is not because we are unwilling. We don’t condone sin, but we also don’t harbor hurt. In the same way as the previous pairing, we see that we will be forgiven as we forgive, and we will be given to as we give to others.
Finally, Jesus simply spells out a promise. We will be treated as we treat others. We will be forgiven in the same way that we forgive. The way we deal with our neighbors and people in our lives will come back to us “pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” More than a scary promise of getting all the bad we give out back on us—karma, we should see this a promise that we will be rewarded in the measure of the mercy and compassion we show others.
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