Page 149 - Demo

LUKE 
to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.v 35But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.w 36Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.
Judging Others.* 37x “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.y 38Give 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.”z 39And he told them a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?a 40No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.b 41Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? 42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.
A Tree Known by Its Fruit.c 43* “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people
do not pick figs from
thornbushes, nor do
they gather grapes from
brambles. 45A good per-
son out of the store of
goodness in his heart
produces good, but an
evil person out of a store
of evil produces evil; for
from the fullness of the
heart the mouth speaks.
The Two Foundations.
46d “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? 47* I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them.e 48That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. 49But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
Teach us, good Lord,
to serve you as you deserve: to give and not to count the cost,
to ght and not to heed
the wounds,
to toil and not to seek
for rest,
to labor and not to ask
for any reward,
save that of knowing
that we do your will.
Amen.
St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
6:37
Jesus teaches about judgments of others. This teaching does not say that we must never take issue with the sins, choices, or behaviors of others. Rather, Jesus says we must be aware of our own sins before we attempt to point out those of others.
If we are unaware of ourselves, we are like a blind person leading another blind person. And as the metaphor of the beam and the splinter suggests, our own sins may be much more grievous than those of the person we are judging.
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* [6:37–42] See notes on Mt 7:1–12; 7:1; 7:5.
* [6:43–46] See notes on Mt 7:15–20 and 12:33. * [6:47–49] See note on Mt 7:24–27.
v. [6:34] Dt 15:7–8.
w. [6:35] Lv 25:35–36.
x. [6:37–42] Mt 7:1–5.
y. [6:37] Mt 6:14; Jas 2:13. z. [6:38] Mk 4:24.
a. [6:39] Mt 15:14; 23:16–17, 24.
b. [6:40] Mt 10:24–25; Jn 13:16; 15:20. c. [6:43–45] Mt 7:16–20; 12:33, 35.
d. [6:46] Mt 7:21; Rom 2:13; Jas 1:22. e. [6:47–49] Mt 7:24–27.