Gospel: John 12:44-50
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my
words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on
the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me
commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is
eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”
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Reflection:
The story is told about a sinful man who was always being pleaded by his mother to leave behind his sinful life. After many years of patiently pleading the man finally renewed his life. And he eventually became very successful in his life.
Based on His pronouncements in the gospel for today, patience is a word that we can always attribute to Jesus. He tells us this: “If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. (John 12:47)” These are profound words that give us hope no matter how sinful we are and no matter who we are.
Jesus doesn’t look at our sinfulness no matter how grave or severe it is! For He became man not to judge us but to save us. If we are quick to condemn Jesus doesn’t condemn. If we are quick to judge Jesus is not quick to judge because Jesus is always patient with us.
Instead of condemning and judging our fellow men and women let us give them hope, motivation and let us forgive them for the bad things that they’ve done to us. No one deserves to be judged or condemned for the reason that everyone of us is sinful and everyone of us is within reach of the mercy and love of God.
Let us therefore reflect and try to recall
if we have undeservingly heaped judgment and condemnation on our fellow men and
women. Let us pause for a few seconds and humbly ask Jesus to forgive our
condemning and judgmental minds. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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