Romans 14:7-12  “…why do you look down on your brother or sister?  For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written: As I live, says the Lord every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.  So, then each of us shall give an account of himself to God…”

Psalm 27: 1bcde, 4, 13-14  “…One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek, to dwell in the house of the LORD…”

Luke 15: 1-10   “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance…”

In today’s reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, we are reminded to monitor our own actions to see if we are “living for the Lord. None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.  For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord…” (Romans 14:7-8)  Paul also asks, why do we look down on our brother or sister? 

Upon reflecting, I realize that my internal monitor, which checks to see if I am “living for the Lord” does not run constantly.  Rather, I am often distracted, as I look away from my own actions, and begin looking to see how my neighbor is doing with their walk with the Lord.  Almost two thousand years after Paul wrote this letter, the same lesson applies to us.  We still run interference, so that the “light” doesn’t shine too long on our own missteps.    There is a difference between speaking to a good friend to help them get back on track, and judging another person’s actions or words as foul.  At that point we begin running our mental commentaries about them.  The two actions use different motivations.  In the first example, we are following what Christ has asked us to do, to bring others along with us on the journey, in the second we are just judging.  We’re not likely to show this person the Kingdom of Heaven with this approach.

In today’s Gospel from Luke 15:7, Jesus tell us that “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance…”  From this reading I hear that God wants all peoples gathered up unto Him.  Jesus came to show us the way.  When the town was ready to stone the young, woman prostitute to death, Jesus gently invited the one without sin to throw the first stone.  When everyone had left without throwing anything, He told her He did not condemn her either.  After blessing her, He told her to go and sin no more.  By example He brought many unto Himself.  We are His hands and feet on earth today, and in following Him we are asked to lead by His example.  Show only love blessed (Mother) Theresa told us.

So Lord we ask you for your Blessing on this day, and in this week, help us to be more aware of the moments when we slip out of the self-correcting mode and begin to watch and judge others whom we know to be your creation too.  Correcting ourselves is the greater challenge.  So whether our distraction is towards a family member, a co-worker, a teammate, or someone on a national or international level, may we stop in that moment and ask God to touch us and to touch them in Blessing with His Love.  In that moment, we’ll be shown the step for all the future moments and we will grow in Holiness.  Thankfully the Lord is patient, still today as in the time of Paul, I (you) am (are) being called to be Perfect as the Heavenly Father is Perfect.