Reflection for September 11 Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 6:27-38

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 

To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.  

Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.  

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.

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Reflection:

The story is told about a man who died and was refused entry into the pearly gates. He asked the angel manning the gates for the reason, and the angel told him that he had been very judgmental while he was alive. With a heavy heart and a forlorn face, the man turned away from the gates of heaven. 

Why do we so easily judge others? Perhaps it is because we lack love and forgiveness in our hearts. If there were plenty of love and forgiveness, we would not dare judge anyone—for the moment we judge, we also invite judgment upon ourselves. 

What then would it take for us not to be judgmental toward those who have wronged us? We must love as the Lord has loved us. This love is not ordinary; it is a radical love. Radical love means unconditional love, a love unmoved by the possibility of reciprocation or reward. It is a love set aflame by forgiveness, compassion, and understanding. 

Such love requires us not to fixate on the faults and shortcomings of others. Instead, it leads us to remember their good qualities, which they surely have in abundance—though we often refuse to acknowledge them because we are enslaved by hate. 

The next time we are tempted to pull out the dangerous sword of judgment, let us pause. Let us quiet our hearts and recall the many good qualities of the person we are judging. In doing so, we imitate Christ, who looks beyond our sins and sees the goodness He Himself planted within us. 

Judging others is easy, but loving them as Christ loves us is the true challenge. Will you continue to be quick to judge, or will you choose the radical path of love and forgiveness that opens the gates of heaven? – Marino J. Dasmarinas