judge what Judge meant? …

judge what Judge meant? … (draft 10)

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So let us therefore no longer be those

who pass judgment on people whom God made.

For who appointed me the judge suppose?

If Jesus didn't try to judge, and bade

his followers to leave no stumbling block

before his "little ones", his brothers small,

but build up each good practice, be a chock

that others may stand on, and so grow tall.

And if you somehow injure your sibling, 

by what you do or say, is that Christ's love?

If you made judgment without ev'rything,

all knowledge and all wisdom from above

would that be like the Christ who stopped himself

from judging, 'til appointed openly?

Who gave his time and energies and health,

the pow'r of God, to who would come and see?

Act then, in such a way that you won't give

what you know as good-ways-for-you-to-live,

the kind of airplay in another's mind

that will be seen as evil when "divined".

The reign of God is focussed not on acts,

for right relating's locus there in fact:

It uses acts (in their contexts), to aid

ability to see, [for when things move

with action (as one sees through what is made

in strips, like paling fence), then front yards prove

quite visible, by adding movement to 

the scene] the spirit in which they are done:

Is this the stuff creative love would do?

which woos with hope, and keeps its word when spun?

Thriving relationships, joy in our lives,

from spirit of Jesus/ spirit of Christ.

And one who thus serves Christ, the scripture says,

is so acceptable to God, their prayers,

and acts that come from trusting God; who dares

wins common folk's approval. But Bewares!

So let us then pursue what builds and thrives

our ecosystems, garden plots, our lives,

all seen as his good fam'ly that he grows

that we would gladly share, so that he knows

us each, but then together as a group.

The faith each has must grow as God would stoop 

and give us clear conviction to live out -

within this world, of God's. e need not pout

for he would bless all those who've known no reas-

on to be so condemned b'coz of what 

they look like to what humans in their seas-

on, would look on & see through them to God.

But those who doubt about something, yet do

it anyway, as though conscience was not

a way to grow up, understanding who

we're meant to be (by who is really GOD!)

will be condemned themselves by their own doubt-

ful actions, just because they did not act 

from faith and learn from GOD how to live out

creative love's own will. (That's SIN, in fact!)

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‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matt. 7:1‭-‬2 NIVUK

For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."  Jesus of Nazareth (Matt. 12:37 NIVUK)

Jesus's three parables (Mt 25:1‭-46 NRSV-CI) about service &  judgement of humanity under God; the 

• Ten bridesmaids (known & unknown);

• the stewards to whom he entrusted his property; (wholehearted, consistent, service on behalf of the rule of the king, leads to an entering into joy; otherwise regret)

• The judgement method of the good shepherd, the true ruler of humanity: people who have fleshed out the spirit of the kingdom of God in their actions (sheep), "And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’... and those who haven't (goats)... Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Mt 25:40‭, ‬45‭-‬46 NRSV-CI

And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” Mk 4:24‭-‬25 NRSV-CI

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. “For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”  Mk 9:42‭-‬43‭, ‬45‭, ‬47‭-‬50 NRSV-CI

‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ He also told them this parable: ‘Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.’ Luke 6:37‭-‬49 NIVUK

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Lk 12:13‭-‬21 NRSV-CI

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;  Jn 8:31 NRSV-CI

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jn 13:35 NRSV-CI

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. … If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. … The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Rom 14:13,15‭-‬19‭, ‬22‭-‬23 NRSV-CI  etc…//

When any of my servants complained against me, I would listen and treat them fairly. If I did not, how could I then face God? What could I say when God came to judge me? The same God who created me created my servants also. Job 31:13‭-‬15 GNTD

… I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 1 Cor. 10:29 NIVUK //

  … I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 1 Cor. 4:3 NIVUK

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