Stop Judging

Monday of the Second Week in Lent

Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the lands to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you.  Daniel 9:7

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.”  Luke 6:37

Piety

Open our eyes, Lord.  Take out the wooden beam so we can see more justly in all we do. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=55lOdJz7_WI

Study

Another reminder comes our way today that correlated between our conduct toward others and God’s conduct toward us.  We must always remove the wooden beam from our own eye first, so we can see clearly to remove the splinter from someone else’s eye.  Mercy triumphs over judgment of others.

Therefore to give us a lesson you punish our enemies with measured deliberation so that we may think earnestly of your goodness when we judge, and, when being judged, we may look for mercy. Wisdom 12:22

Note also that the passage is not only about restraint on our part but also about the lack of restraint on God’s part.  We will get our reward poured into our laps over flowingly.  “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”   

Action

God never meets us halfway.  All we have to do is get started and the Lord will rush out to meet us along the way.   Who are we to let a small ocean stand in our way?  Being fair to all we do business with is one way to increase justice in the world.

Fairtrade Fortnight from February 23 through March 8 brings together consumers, retailers, licensees, businesses, producers and campaigners nationwide to promote awareness and sales of Fairtrade products and campaign on issues of trade justice.  It is a publicity drive in the United Kingdom – but there is no need to let that stop us from participating.

You can make your purchases matter to small farmers in developing countries when you purchase some products from Fair Trade merchants here such as those linked at http://fairtradeusa.org/products-partners.  Each time you purchase a fair trade product you help support families and causes all over the world.  Frequently, major retailers like Target and Sam’s Club carry Fair Trade certified products.