Religion Magazine

Judgement & Forgiveness

By Ldsapologetics
Judge not, that ye be not judged.For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matthew 7:1-3)
In the Joseph Smith Translation of The Bible we are told to "Judge Righteously."  Let's see an example:
"Rav Abraham Joseph Twerski, in his book Generation to Generation tells the following story:One Tisha B'Av the Rebbe of Berdichov came accross an obviously non-observant Jew who was eating.
"My child," the Rebbe said, "You must certainly have forgotten that today is Tisha B'Av, a fast day."
"No, I did not forget," the man replied. "I know it is Tisha B'Av," continuing to eat.
"Ah, then, you certainly have not been feeling well, and you are under doctors orders not to fast today," the Rebbe said.
"I am perfectly healthy," the man said, "And I have nothing to do with doctors."
The Berdichover lifted his face toward heaven. "Look, Ribono Shel Olam, how truthful and honest Your children are. I have offered the man opportunities to explain away his behavior, but he insists on telling the truth even to his own hurt. He knows how much You value truth, and he will not divert from it. Who else would be so loyal to your principals?"It says in the Parsha that always falls out the Shabbos before (except when it falls out on) Tisha B'Av(Dev. 1:17) that a judge is not to favor a greater person more then a lesser person, he must listen to them equally, Ki HaMishpat LeElokim Hu, because judgment is God's."
The man questioning the man who is eating favorably judges the man eating rather than condemning him.  This is what righteous judgment is.
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Jesus tells us that however harsh or light we judge others is the same degree which The Lord will judge us.  He also tells us that we must look within and perfect ourselves rather than raking others over the coals for their misdeeds.
He also refers to those who do judge the sins of others as hypocrites.
"Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:4-5)
It is a "He who is without sin may cast the first stone" moment.
Judgement is forbidden because it is too often tied in with condemnation and judgment alone is God's.  No one likes being condemned yet so many of those people who are the first to cry foul when they are judged are the very first to offer their judgment and condemnation of others.
I know I don't like judgmental people and I do try not to judge, that's God's job not mine.  According to Jesus our job is to love our neighbor, our enemies and all we meet.  Our mission is to pray for those who persecute us, to forgive our debtors as we ask forgiveness for our debts.
I am always amazed when I hear someone judge and condemn another only to hear them say the forgive them as well.  That can not be done.  You can't condemn and forgive at the same time.  People who do that I've noticed are trying to clear their conscience not perform the service of forgiveness.
All are alike unto God, so all are as deserving of forgiveness as you are.  We are all His children.
If we want forgiveness from God for our transgressions, we must forgive others.  And the first step is to stop judging.
Matthew 6:14-15 - For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:   (Read More...)
Luke 6:37 - Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Colossians 3:13 - Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (Matthew 5:21-24)
Jesus is comparing hate to murder here as He compares lust to adultery elsewhere in scripture.  The reason saying "You fool" is worthy of hellfire is because it renders condemnation.  Someone who is ill informed can learn but for a fool there is no hope.  And Jesus also says here that before God will accept your offerings you must make amends with those who you harbor a grudge against, that it is more important to God that you love on another as He loves us than it is for you to make token offerings while holding on to your hate.
"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)
Gematria is a Jewish form of numerology and it was beginning during Jesus' time.  77 or seventy times seven was a symbol for infinity and so Jesus is saying that your forgiveness should know no limits.
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Paul, in Romans, is saying that none but Jesus are sinless.  It is then fair to say that none are without sin so none may cast the first stone.  When Jesus said that to the crowd there was one among them who was sinless and could throw the first stone.  But He did not.  Christ did not throw the first stone, He simply said "Go and sin no more."
According the the Law everyone knew that adulteress was condemned.  But Jesus knew that was not the way.  Forgiveness and Love were, and that is what He gave her.
You can never know what is on someone's heart, or what they have been through so without knowing their story how can anyone correctly judge?  Maybe no one in that woman's life had ever truly believed in her, or maybe no one had ever truly seen her worth.  But in that moment with Jesus she may have felt it for the first time.  Because one man spared her life and for perhaps the first time in her life she was forgiven rather than condmemned.
If she felt that value, that worth then maybe that is what gave her the strength to "sin no more."
The thing is all of us are as human as she.
If you can be the one to refuse to condemn and the one who also forgives then who's to say you won't have the same effect on another that Jesus had on the adulteress?
The Atonement is for all to partake in and share amongst each other.  When we extend forgiveness without limits as Christ did with the Atonement then we receive it.
Like a butterfly flapping it's wings the effect can be measured worldwide.

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