Fifth Sunday after the Trinity Rev. Mark Duer
Luke 6:36-42 June 23, 2024
In today’s sermon text, Jesus talks about judging others. As fallen sinners we tend to assume that we can take God's place and judge one another.
We have a tendency to view the sins and weaknesses of others while at the same time not noticing, or dismissing our own. It is easy to do, and everyone is guilty of doing it. That forces us to see the world from a perspective that is not shared by everyone.
We see them, from here! We cannot see ourselves as others see us. We often don't even want to see ourselves as others see us! That way we can see their weaknesses and their sins with great clarity, and at the same time ignoring our own.
We can pretend that our shortcomings and flaws are not as bad as the people we judge. Our first mistake is forgetting that what we see is prejudiced by our perspective.
The second mistake is that we actually judge others. God forgives us, but we take it upon ourselves to judge and not forgive. You might merely judge them by thinking or speaking evil of them. You might also judge others by gossip.
Every time you listen to gossip you encourage and enable this evil against another, and every time you speak something other than good about your neighbor, you harm their reputation. You find them guilty of whatever the gossip is without giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Another error of passing judgment on someone else is that we forget that we are just like them. There are people who are offended by us. They may be offended in any number of ways: by what we do, or what we don’t do, or by what we say, or even in the manner in which we do things.
Maybe they see us as snobby and arrogant, or we meddle with other people’s affairs.
Everyone has their weaknesses and shortcomings, and your neighbors see yours more clearly than you can imagine! We may assume our issues are minor, or non-existent. We presume that we are not as bad as those who we judge.
But God says otherwise. In fact, He tells us that when we judge someone else, we establish the standard by which He will judge us! “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” We set the standards for our own judgment.
The dismay we feel at our neighbor's conduct or offenses—Any animosity you have about another sets the standard for God's judgment of you.
God knows we are lost in our sinful condition. He gives us His Word. Jesus tells us in today’s gospel in verse 42: “How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.”
God’s Holy law tells us to examine ourselves, and to see that our thoughts and our words, and are actions are wicked. We are to Repent, and turn from all of our sins. Only then can we speak to our brother or sister about their sins.
Instead of condemning us and to the depths of hell, God sent His Son to die for us. Jesus ascended the cross on our behalf and was nailed in the place that was rightly ours, so that He might bear the wrath of God and the just judgment against all our sins.
He freely forgives, because Jesus has already paid the penalty for your sins. He pours out Hislove and goodness and grace and salvation, to be received by faith.
We have received forgiveness, life, and salvation through the cross and the empty tomb, and byfaith we trust God’s Word, and his promises which are certain and sure.
Your sins are forgiven. You possess life everlasting even now, first delivered to you in the waters of Holy baptism.
God gives us his grace and mercy. He listens when we pray. He blesses us, protects us and sendsHis Holy Spirit to dwell in us to do His will and His works. He helps us in every need and supports us in every trial. He is gracious, and merciful.
Jesus begins our sermon text with the words, be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. We are, Jesus says, to imitate God. We are to follow the pattern which God has set for us. Because God is merciful toward us, we are to be merciful toward others.
How do we do that? We are to deal with others as God would—as we would want Him to deal with us. We should not measure them against ourselves and our own prejudiced values and judgments.
But we should always put the best construction on everything and treat them just as we would want to be treated, and as God has treated us.
Jesus tells un in verses 37-38: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Do not judge. Do not condemn. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give to one another.
This is precisely how God deals with us. We know, and believe His goodness comes from His great love for us.
Where we see the need, we should give, so that our abundance fills the need of others, just as the abundance of mercy in God fills our need for salvation and hope.
In our text, Jesus says to “give.” It might be stewardship toward the congregation or giving to a fellow-member of the congregation who is in need. It might be a neighbor who is in need, or the poor, or the sick, or a mission field somewhere.
So how do we understand giving, and offerings? We should first remember that everything we have is a gift from the Lord. We should give from the abundance we already have, even when it comes to our offerings for the church.
When you see the need, remember the blessings God has blessed you with - and be able and willing, even eager - to give. This is what God would work in each of us through the Holy Spirit producing good fruits to benefit our neighbor.
Galatians 5:22-25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
God promises grace and blessing and even abundance of blessings when we are His faithful people and we act toward others just as He has acted toward us. We know that we shall enjoy the fulness of every good thing in eternity in Christ, as God’s children.
If He forgives, how can we not forgive? If He sets aside judgment for forgiveness, mercy, and love, how could we do any less, if we desire to be called His Children, and to enjoy His favor?
Romans 12:14-21 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 20"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Amen.