Sunday:       Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Date:         February 22, 2004
Year:         C
The readings: [1 Sam. 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-25; 1 Cor. 15:45-50; Lk. 6:27-38]
The message:  Do not judge, and you will not be judged.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  1476

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My brothers and sisters in Christ, today, the spiritual message of Jesus tells us, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged." [Lk. 6:37] "For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get." [Mt. 7:2] To obey this God given command, we must continuously embrace a spiritual approach towards our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Through Adam, our physical bodies have inherited the sinful nature and spiritual death. As the first man was from the earth, made of dust, we have born the image of the one of dust.

But, through the precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, during the Sacrament of Baptism, we have received the indwelling Spirit of Christ and our new spiritual nature [Ezek. 11:19-20; 18:31; 36:26-7; Jer. 31:31, 3; Gal. 6:15; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:17] of the godly seed, [1 Jn. 3:9] as our first instalment [2 Cor. 1:22] towards the inheritance of salvation in the Kingdom of God. Through the second Man who is from Heaven, the life-giving Spirit, [1 Cor. 15:45] we will also bear the image of the One of Heaven.

My brothers and sisters, our blessed hope in Christ is not of this world. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit." [Jn. 3:5-6] "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." [1 Cor. 15:50]

Throughout our daily life, our Christian life in Christ calls us to embrace the new spirituality that we have received with our new creation. We are called to persevere as holy children of God who is Most Holy. For, through the Sacrament of our Baptism, we no longer belong to the world. As Jesus did not belong to the world, we do not belong to the world. [Jn. 17:16]

My brothers and sisters in Christ, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world - the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches - comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever." [1 Jn. 2:15-7]

During today's First Reading from the First Book of Samuel, we heard a perfect example of being of the world versus applying one's newly received spiritual gift through Christ. When Abishai saw the perfect opportunity to kill Saul, he said to David, "Let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear..." In other words, let me kill him with one stroke of the spear. To this comment, David answered, "Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?"

These words echo the words of Jesus who said, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them... But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the most High."

David did not want to carry the guilt of being the one who killed king Saul who had been chosen by God. Yes, the opportunity was there! Yes, king Saul has made David's life very miserable! Yes, king Saul was jealous of David! But all of these reasons did not justify taking into one's own hands the Divine justice of God. While David would answer to God for his actions, king Saul would also answer to God for his action. And as David has forgiven king Saul for the wrong that has been done to him, God forgave David for many wrongs that he has done during his life. "For the measure you give will be the measure you get back." [Lk. 6:38]

Let us now consider how this spiritual law applies in our Christian lives.

1. Those who are happily married, is it spiritually wise for them to wish a marriage breakup to couples who are experiencing difficulties that they have not yet overcomed? By doing so, are they not risking the wrath of God that might judge them equally by hardening their hearts and allowing their marriage to experience difficulties?

2. Having received the right to life, do we have a right to encourage or participate in an abortion? By doing so, will God not judge us as murderers?

3. In our personal judgment of criminals, of murderers, of rapists, of child molesters, will God not judge us with the same harshness that we have judged them? If our attitude is to embrace the death penalty or to lock them up for life without one ounce of mercy, forgiveness or hope of rehabilitation, is this not drawing the same wrath from God?

4. How do we judge the poor, the unemployed, those on social assistance, the minority groups who are discriminated against because of their status? Do we shun them? Do we blame them for their predicaments? Or do we reach out to them with a loving hand, doing all we can to improve their lifestyles?

5. Who do we pray for? While we hear of prayer intentions for peace in the world, for the Church, for vocations, for the poor, for missionaries, etc... do we hear of prayer intentions for our enemies? Rarely, if ever. I ask again, does anyone ever pray for their enemies? If no one prays for their enemies, how can the grace of God touch their hearts and transform them into friends?

6. If a hungry child came to our door and asked for a sandwich, would we give it to him? If an unshaved and dirty traveller came to our door and asked for a sandwich, how would we treat him? Would it be different then the way we would treat a child? Yet, is the Spirit of Christ not dwelling in both of them? Remember the words of Jesus, "You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry and you gave me no food..." [Mt. 25:41-2]

My brother and sisters in Christ, no one can embrace a spiritual mind and a worldly mind at the same time. It is impossible! If one does what is righteous, he walks his living faith in Christ with a spiritual mind. But, the moment that one places his personal desires over the spiritual law of Christ, he no longer walks his living faith in Christ. His walk is of a worldly mind, satisfying his own personal desires and goals. By the same measure that he judges others, he will be judged!

Jesus told us, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged." The indwelling Holy Spirit tells us, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged." Our hearts tell us, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged." And what do we do? We continue to judge! Woe to us if we do not stop judging others for God will be just as severe with us as we are severe towards others. Woe to us if we do not control our minds, our hearts and our actions! Woe to us if we do not control our tongues!

"The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue - a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so." [Jas. 3:5-10]

My brothers and sisters, this week, let us search our hearts to determine if our minds and tongues are shining in holy things that are worthy of being called holy children of God. Do we have spiritual minds and tongues or worldly minds and tongues? Is there a need to cleanse ourselves with the grace of God through sincere repentance and the Sacrament of Confession? Let us reflect upon these things. Let us strive together to embrace the motto, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged."

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"Having heard that David was hiding out in the desert, Saul rose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, with three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

David and Abishai went into Saul's army by night; there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay around him. Abishai said to David, 'God has given your enemy into your hand today; now therefore let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear; I will not strike him twice.' But David said to Abishai, 'Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?'

So David took the spear that was at Saul's hand and the water jar, and they went away. No one saw it, or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.

Then David went over to the other side, and stood up on top of a hill far away, with a great distance between them. David called aloud to Saul, 'Here is the spear, O King! Let one of the young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards everyone for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord gave you into my hand today, but I would not raise my hand against the Lord's anointed. As your life was precious today in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he rescue me from all tribulations.'

Then Saul said to David, 'Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.'

So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place." [1 Sam. 26]

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Second Reading...

"It is written: 'The first man, Adam, became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual.

The first was from the earth, made of dust; the second is from heaven. As was the one of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the one of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.

Just as we have borne the image of the one of dust, we will also bear the image of the one in heaven.

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: the flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." [1 Cor. 15:45-50]

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Gospel Reading...

"Jesus addressed a great crowd of his disciples, together with the multitude from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre and Sidon. 'I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.'" [Lk. 6:27-38]

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