We regret there is no Thought for the Week this week.
20th July 2014
A Wonderful Teaching But Remember The Punchline
Jesus, unlike the Pharisees, was not one for giving commandments. Yet of course on occasions he did. Perhaps one of those I find myself quoting most is, “Do not judge and you will not be judged…" etc.
After all this teaching and attitude was Jesus’ and if we take it seriously it’s truly life giving for all of us. Yet for many, it is a hard teaching. I’m not so much thinking about those who simply fail to always keep it, but those, like the person who came up to me a couple of weeks ago after a talk I’d given and challenged it. They made it quite clear that in their view, we needed to judge people AND condemn them. They didn’t quite say it, but I was left in no doubt, they thought Jesus was wrong!
He wasn’t of course! I did remind them of the end of Jesus’ quote – the punchline – but to be honest, they weren’t in listening mode. Just before I tell a story about this teaching and the punchline, I should point out, that the person’s reaction was and is a common one. Whenever it comes up in Church in a reading or homily, more often than not, someone will question me about it.
A holy man discovered that a prostitute had moved in, near to where he lived. It didn’t take long to find her; she had so many men visitors! Every time he saw a man leave, he decided to place a stone by her door to symbolise the weight and seriousness of her sins. It didn’t take time to create a pile; a pile that grew and grew.
Years later the prostitute first and then the Holy Man died. When the Holy Man was shown around his celestial abode, he was surprised to see that he was to live by a big grey hill. On the other side was a beautiful mansion with lawns and gardens. The person who lived there was dressed in finery and strolled amongst the flowers. It was the prostitute!! “This must be some mistake,” he angrily shouted. I gave my life to prayer, where she gave her life to immoral living. I saw it!
“There is no mistake,” a voice answered.” “She hated her job, but it was the only way she could feed her children. Every time a new visitor arrived she prayed, ‘please God get me out of this.’ You on the other hand were fascinated by her sins. Whilst she was talking to God, you were delighting yourself with building a hill of pebbles. She got what she prayed for and you…who so delighted in building your hill of pebbles and thought it so good, you can live with your hill of grey stones.”
Things are often not what they seem. Jesus knew what he was saying when he said, “Do not judge and you will not be judged”. But the ‘punchline’ was “You will be judged by the same judgement you gave others.”
