“AND THE WINNER IS...”

“For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” – Matthew 7:2

Simon Cowell from American Idol may be blunt (or too blunt!) when he criticizes performances for two reasons: (1) He’s the producer of the show and he’s the boss, and; (2) He knows that the tables won’t be turned and that he won’t be judged in the Jesus speaks to the Pinoy Big Brother, Starstruck — Next Level, and American Idol judges of his time named Pharisees. He tells them: “You are not the boss, God is. And tables will surely turn. You will be judged with the same measure....”

“Mom, who are we to judge?” asked my 10-year-old daughter Frances. True. We are not judges and it’s not our business. We can be judges, though, of ourselves. Turning the tables now and asking the real Judge for a “pre-trial” assessment is most helpful while there’s time for “appeals.” Whether we like it or not, time will come when we will face Jesus Himself. This time, impressions and popularity won’t matter, and text votes don’t count. What matters is how we have lived our Christian life doing His will.

REFLECTION:

When was the last time you had a “pre-trial assessment” called confession? Do it now

BEARING FRUIT

“So by their fruits you will know them.” – Matthew 7:20

It is said that when you squeeze a lemon, what you get is lemonade. When you squeeze an orange, what you get is orange juice. But when you squeeze a Christian, what do you get?
Trials, crisis, misfortunes — they are a part of our lives. No one gets through life unscathed. What differentiates one from the other is how we take life’s adversities. Do we resist them or do we welcome them as opportunities for growth? Do we harness our strengths or are we weakened by our weaknesses?The mark of a true Christian is if we can still see Christ in our setbacks.Five years ago, we lost our mother. Her illness up to her death had been a trying time for all of us — we were squeezed hard, so to speak.
The experience left some scars but they enlarged my heart to take in the pain of another. By God’s grace, my mother’s death bore some good fruit in me: inner strength, compassion, fortitude.

REFLECTION:

When trials come, what fruit comes out of you? Is it good or rotten?