Jesus says: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37)
We’ve all been there… When we say! "I will never do what he or she did"! "I will never put up with what they put up with"! And then, we find ourselves doing and putting up with the same things that we said “ I Will Never Do Or Put Up With” (That’s where the saying comes from… Never say, Never!) At times when we pass judgments on someone else and we don’t even know what’s going on in their lives or why they are going through that particular situation. This brings to mind an old saying, "Do not judge a man, unless you have walked a mile in his shoes"!
I also love this saying also! And one we should always apply to everyone... “NEVER LOOK DOWN ON ANYBODY UNLESS YOU’RE HELPING THEM UP!!”
What a different world this would be, if we instead of judging, criticizing, and talking behind people’s back … We would extent the love of Christ to them and instead of kicking people when they are down… We would pick them up, help them out, and give them encouragements from the word of God!! Do you know how many lives would be healed, saved, and transformed by the "LOVE" of the living Christ? All of this can happen by just doing what the Lord has taught us to do..."Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31)
Jesus says:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)
Note: We must be very careful on how we pass judgments on others and how we talk about people! Because according to the Lord’s own words… The judgments that we pass on to others will come right back on us!! Knowing that, we must think twice! Before rushing into passing judgments and criticizing others.
We just have to stop and think! If I were in that situation, what would I like to hear? What would I want someone to do for me? If it is encouragement, then encourage. If it’s a listening ear that you would need… Then be a listening ear for them too! Jesus says: "SO IN EVERYTHING, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)
In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul says:
“You, therefore, HAVE NO EXCUSE, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” (Romans 2:1)
Note: The Apostle Paul is telling us through the book of Romans that when we judge others… We are condemning ourselves! The Scriptures say, that we who judge others… Do the very same things that we just talked about, criticized, and judged another person on! This is called Hypocrisy, my friends! This is not what Jesus Christ has taught us to be like!
The Lord taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to treat people the way that we would like to be treated! (Mark 12:31- Matthew 7:12) This is what Jesus says: “ If you love me, you will obey what I command.” “ Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ” (John 14:15- Luke 6:46) So if we truly love the Lord like we say… THEN we will show it by obeying HIM!
The Lord was compassionate towards people when He was here on earth! Whenever Jesus saw a need… HE was there to help! Where there was sickness, He healed! The hungry, He feed! The Lost, He saved! Praise the Living God for His Compassion, Mercy, and Grace! Because He is good to all! … "He has compassion on all he has made!" (Psalms 145:9)
Let me give you a couple of examples from the Bible on how Jesus treated people…
Jesus met Zacchaeus at the sycamore-fig tree! And the Lord said to him… “ Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today ”… (Watch the crowd’s reaction to Jesus dinning in Zacchaeus house) “ All the people saw this and began to mutter (to complain or grumble), He (Jesus) has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’ (This is the miracle that happens when we love people like the Lord commands! Watch this don’t miss it...) “ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “ Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”(Wow, this is what happens when we love people instead of judging, criticizing, and looking down on them!!!
God’s ways are always THE best way to Go! Always!) Jesus said to him, “ Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. (Thank God for this part...) “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)
The next example is found in the book of Mark…
“During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “ I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” His disciples answered, “ But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” “ How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “ Seven,” they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When He had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.”
Note: Mark tells us that Jesus fed about four thousand people with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish…Wow! (What a miracle the Lord performed for that crowd) “For nothing is impossible with God!” (Luke 1:37) And the Holy Scriptures say: that the people ate and were satisfied. (Mark 8:1-9) What a loving and compassionate Savior we serve! And this, my friends, is how we should treat our fellow man with love and compassion!! And NOT with judgments and criticisms…
“WHOEVER CLAIMS TO LIVE IN HIM MUST WALK AS JESUS DID” (1 JOHN 2:6)
GOD BLESS YOU NOW AND ALWAYS!
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
