Luke 6:37

Jesus gives three linked commands here, each with a corresponding promise: do not judge, do not condemn, and do forgive. The pattern is clear -- the way we treat others sets the measure for how we ourselves will be treated. These words call disciples to lay aside a harsh, condemning spirit and to adopt instead an attitude of mercy.

It is important to understand what Jesus is and is not saying. He is not forbidding all moral discernment; elsewhere He calls people to recognize good and evil. What He warns against is the censorious habit of looking down on others, passing harsh sentence on them, and condemning them in our hearts. The remedy He offers is forgiveness -- releasing others from the debts we feel they owe us. The three commands build toward this positive command: forgive. And the promise is striking: "ye shall be forgiven." There is a deep connection between the mercy we extend and the mercy we receive. A heart that refuses to forgive closes itself to forgiveness; a heart that gives mercy stays open to it. Jesus is teaching that the merciful live in a different economy, one where grace flows freely both ways. To stop condemning and start forgiving is to step into the freedom and blessing that mercy brings.