Do Not Judge Others

Gospel: Luke 6: 36-38

"Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.  Do not judge others."  Seems like a simple command from Jesus, and yet everywhere we find judgment and condemnation against others.  What is more, an array of arguments defending such acts of judgment and condemnation is legion.  It is this very vitriol of judgment and condemnation justification that would lead to the condemnation and execution of Jesus.  

So much is written about justifying condemnation and judgment of others, but so little of it is directed toward ourselves.  Jesus makes clear that the only judgment we are to render is against ourselves.  Our own conscience is the only one we are qualified to examine and judge, not anyone else's.  The entire message of the Gospel is twofold: repentance of our own sins, and show mercy to others.  Our repentance has no value if we ourselves are not merciful.  

Lent is a time of focus on the mercy of God, but not just mercy for ourselves.  It is, perhaps more importantly, a focus on the mercy we are to extend to others in specific and concrete ways: feeding others, visiting others, liberating others, welcoming others, forgiving others.  This is how we show love for God - by loving others and showing mercy to all.