Prayer: O Jesus, teach me compassion and forgiveness to improve my relationships with others.
Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching His disciples not to judge.)
Context:
Jesus praised the meek and the peacemakers. In these words, Jesus explains how to fulfill those roles. Not to judge other disciples is meekness and to remove your own faults is to make peace.
Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud).
Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. As you judge, so you will be judged. The measure with which you measure out, will be measured out to you.
Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not see the wooden beam in your own? Why do you say to your brother, “Let me take the splinter out of your eye” when there is a wooden beam in your eye? Hypocrite! Remove the beam in your own eye first and then you can remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.
Thoughts: (Read all. Ponder the ones that attract you.)
- Because this issue is so important, Jesus goes into great detail.
- “Brother” means a fellow-believer. Disciples should have a loving relationship with each other.
- Judging others destroys compassion and unity.
- Seeing the faults of others, blinds the disciple to his own greater failings.
- Jesus wants his disciple to stop judging and to start cleansing his own soul.
- Once purified, he can purify others.
Affections: (When one touches your heart, use your own words.)
- O Jesus, how falsely I judge others.
- Remove my critical spirit.
- Let me excuse the faults of others, not magnify them.
- Fill me with your compassion and mercy.
- If I do not judge, you will not judge me.
- Make me a little child, O Jesus, who sees goodness in every person.
Resolutions: (Possibly you might want to make your own.)
- Look at your relationships. What can you do to improve them?
- Seek a child-like spirit that overlooks evil.
Thought for the day: (To recall your meditation)
Do not judge, so you will not be judged.