Editor’s Note: This is the sixteenth in a series of short stories dealing with my personal interpretation of selected verses from the Holy Bible offered under the title “The Old Lady and Ana”.
16. THE OLD LADY AND ANA Luke 6:35-38 (Judging People) Ana sat next to her father as they listened to Uncle Joe, her father’s first cousin, continuing his usual comments about his lazy and useless brothers who prefer to sponge on him rather than do an honest day’s work. Every Sunday morning Uncle Joe has a habit of stopping over after attending church to have coffee and complain to her father about everybody and everything. After he left, Ana approached her grandmother and with some hesitancy asked her: “Gramma, why is Uncle Joe always so angry and is always judging everybody so much. It looks as if nobody is good enough for him?” The old lady who was sitting at the table, obviously pleased by her grand daughter’s insight, held her hand and guided her to sit next to her. Opening her bible to the Gospel according to Luke, she searched out chapter 6, verses 35 – 38, and then addressed her: “My dear Ana, I am sorry to say that you are very right. Uncle Joe has a bad habit of judging everybody and it sounds as if he is angry all the time. Although he means well, I have often quarreled with him and reminded him that this is not what the Lord expects from us. In fact he taught us the very opposite. Listen to this": Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged.
Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
“You see Ana, Jesus was quite clear in his advice to us. He left no doubt about what God expects from us with regard to being merciful, or not judging others, or not condemning others. He was referring to all those people who are always finding fault in others as they go around thinking “I am right and they are wrong”. I am thinking of a few people, who are devout and sincere Christians who nevertheless are very strict, judgmental and critical of others. Despite their good intentions, they are wrong and God will treat them accordingly. How we should treat others is the very basis of the message Jesus brought to us. If you recall, Jesus deliberately associated with “losers” and social outcasts like paupers, lepers, prostitutes, tax-collectors and others who were broken and sinful. He did not judge not did he condemn, he loved everyone and expected us, as his followers, to do the same". Ana listening intently, nodded her head to indicate that she understood and agreed with her grand mother, and taking a deep breath she asked: “What should we be saying to people like Uncle Joe to get them to understand what God wants them to do?” The old lady sat back on the chair with her eyes closed, in deep thought for a short while and them looked at Ana and answered: “We can do no better than to remind them of the advice and the promise Jesus himself gave. Let me read them for you in verses 37 and 38":
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.”
“You see Ana, Jesus could not be clearer. We are all sinners and wrong doers and unless we forgive others how could you be forgiven. He even went further to confirm that when you give your reward will be measured back to you running over and overflowing. So we can only pray that good people like your Uncle Joe and my friends will one day wake up to their mistake and begin to heed the words Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.” Ana got up from her chair and thanking her Grandmother, said as she walked away: "I will be praying for all those people to begin to listen and understand what Jesus really said.”
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