Luke 6:37

NASB – “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

NLT – “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

VOICE – If you don’t want to be judged, don’t judge. If you don’t want to be condemned, don’t condemn. If you want to be forgiven, forgive.

Act Reflectively

In the cultural context of first-century Judea, judgment often involved legal and religious assessments, where the religious leaders were known for their hypocritical and strict responses. Jesus is encouraging His followers to respond with humility and self-reflection, so they can potentially avoid these judgments. Condemnation was the finality of the judgments. Historically, condemnation could potentially lead to severe penalties, including death. Jesus calls His followers to reflect God’s character through His grace and mercy. In the Jewish tradition, forgiveness was connected to repentance and atonement. Jesus wants us to focus on merciful forgiveness without revenge, reflecting God’s ultimate forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice. 

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Which do you often face in life: judgment, condemnation, or forgiveness? Why do you feel like you face one more than the others? 

Leave Judgment to God

To judge is the Greek verb krinó (kree’-no). Jesus uses this to forbid his followers from judging and condemning others based on our own standards. Being smack dab in the middle of pride month, this I’m sure is being used as a counter-attack to the clobber passages. If you’re unfamiliar with what the clobber passages are, please check out my series: “The Church Cobbler” here. In essence, these are six passages that are commonly often used to condemn, convict, and abuse our LGBTQ+ siblings in Christ. Often, this passage is the response to any of the bible-thumping that comes their way. We are not called to judge. We are called to extend God’s grace, mercy, and character to each other. We are called to share our concerns with love and compassion, but not condemn or judge. At the end of the day, final condemnation belongs to God.. We are called to treat others with love, and fight against systems of injustice to allow God’s children to live the lives that they were created to live. We’re often creating harmful systems with the facade of love, but actually restricts others from basic rights to life. It’s time to quit holding others to our standards and live up to the standard that God set for us. 

Condemnation vs. Patience

To condemn is the Greek verb katadikazo (kat-ad-ik-ad’-zo). Overall, this focuses on the ultimate issue of guilt before God and each other. Luke writes this to connect our judgment with the standard that God will measure us by. In the Greco-Roman world, a condemned person would face penalties from fines to death. This connects to show that sin invites a binding outcome, one that no judge can overturn. In the Luke passage, Jesus is forbidding the disciples, and us, from creating a spirit that censors others. Why? We are not perfect. We make mistakes. God is perfect and sin-free. Jesus is calling us to be objective when guilt is seen, but to be patient in responding and consequences to allow a time for forgiveness and reconciliation. I remember when I was going through my sextortion incident, I prayed: “God let your justice be served.” It was a reminder that when I wanted revenge and to avenge my name with those that this situation drug through the mud, God’s truth and justice will be served. It will be shown in His ways and in His time. This freed me from guilt and anger, and allowed me to work towards recovery, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Now – this process didn’t result in the results that I wanted it to happen, but God’s plan for me led me to my new role as a tax preparer, led me to new friends and communities, led me to my role with this blog, and more. Condemnation is not for me, but the patience that God has given to me is the path I must reflect to those around me. 

Paths of Forgiveness and Reconciliation

To forgive is the Greek verb apoluó (ap-ol-oo’-o). It describes a releasing, dismissing, setting free, sending away, or divorcing. Overall, it highlights God’s authority to free and our responsibility in matters of justice, ministry, and covenant faithfulness. When we seek reconciliation with God over our sinful behavior, we are asking God to release us from the shackles that bind us to our sins. Our sins tend to shackle us to guilt and shame. The negative emotions that tend to force us to adopt our new identity as the behavior instead of a child of God. God’s forgiveness frees us from these chains and allows us a chance to restore a right relationship with Him. The same level of forgiveness needs to be commended to each other. Now, there are relationships that should not be continued due to abuse and health reasons. There are times where the relationships that need time and distance in order for reconciliation to occur. There are times that relationships need work to repair through proper therapy and counseling. Overall, God’s goal is forgiveness and reconciliation – and at the end of the day, we need to receive forgiveness from God and extend it outward to be able to move forward. 

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What is a time when you felt judged or condemned? How did you find a path to forgiveness and potentially reconciliation?