See the Way of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek awareness of the divisions that threaten to separate us from being in meaningful relationships with the people in our environment.

Embrace the Way of Love

The Reading from the Second Book of Kings describes Israelites Deported from the North.

* [17:5] The king of Assyria: Shalmaneser was succeeded by Sargon II, who usurped the Assyrian throne in 722/721 B.C. In his inscriptions, Sargon claims to have captured Samaria during the first year of his reign.

* [17:6–41] This brief section is the Deuteronomistic historian’s theological reflection on the causes and aftermath of Assyria’s conquest of the Northern Kingdom. The text contrasts the Israelites, who were deported (v. 6) because they abandoned the worship of the Lord (vv. 7–23), with the foreigners who were brought into the land (v. 24) and undertook, however imperfectly, to worship the Lord alongside their own traditional deities (vv. 25–34a). The last verses recapitulate the apostasy of the Israelites (vv. 34b–40) and the syncretism of the foreigners (v. 41). This is a deliberately disparaging, and not wholly accurate, account of the origin of the Samaritans; it reflects the hostility the Judahites continued to hold toward the inhabitants of the northern territories. (2 Kings, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 60 complains that God has let the enemy win the battle

* [Psalm 60] The community complains that God has let the enemy win the battle (Ps 60:3–5) and asks for an assurance of victory (Ps 60:6–7). In the oracle God affirms ownership of the land; the invasion of other nations is not permanent and will be reversed ultimately (Ps 60:8–10). With renewed confidence, the community resolves to fight again (Ps 60:11). The opening lament is picked up again (Ps 60:12), but this time with new awareness of God’s power and human limitation. (Psalm 60, PSALMS | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns against Judging Others

* [7:1–12] In Mt 7:1 Matthew returns to the basic traditional material of the sermon (Lk 6:37–38, 41–42). The governing thought is the correspondence between conduct toward one’s fellows and God’s conduct toward the one so acting.

* [7:1] This is not a prohibition against recognizing the faults of others, which would be hardly compatible with Mt 7:5, 6 but against passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetful of one’s own faults.

* [7:5] Hypocrite: the designation previously given to the scribes and Pharisees is here given to the Christian disciple who is concerned with the faults of another and ignores his own more serious offenses. (Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock comments that our culture, our families, even our professions can emphasize the detection of what’s wrong, out of place, needing correction. Let’s examine our way of using kindness and nonviolent communication - avoiding blame and hurt no matter how subtle. Let’s follow Jesus.

I believe forgiveness, compassion and understanding are at play here - to our brother and to ourselves. On a recent family get-together old memories, even old hurts, were brought up. The usual thing that can happen in family gatherings. In a way these hurts can be a form of violence rather than forgiveness, understanding or compassion.  One of us suggested we practice  communicating as described in Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD’s book - you guessed it - Nonviolent Communication. I am reading it now and find it immensely helpful in describing in concrete terms non hurtful ways of communicating. No splinters or wooden beams, just clear and non judgemental ways of sharing your feelings in helpful and kind ways.

Our culture, our families, even our professions can emphasize the detection of what’s wrong, out of place, needing correction. Let’s examine our way of using kindness and nonviolent communication - avoiding blame and hurt no matter how subtle. Let’s follow Jesus. (Braddock, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Judge from justice, forgive from grace,” by Ephrem the Syrian, 306-373 A.D.

"Do not judge, that is, unjustly, so that you may not be judged, with regard to injustice. With the judgment that you judge shall you be judged (Matthew 7:2). This is like the phrase 'Forgive, and it will be forgiven you.' For once someone has judged in accordance with justice, he should forgive in accordance with grace, so that when he himself is judged in accordance with justice, he may be worthy of forgiveness through grace. Alternatively, it was on account of the judges, those who seek vengeance for themselves, that he said, 'Do not condemn.' That is, do not seek vengeance for yourselves. Or, do not judge, from appearances and opinion and then condemn, but admonish and advise." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 6.18B) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:1-5 comments that in today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” (Matthew 7:2). While Jesus looks upon us with compassion and mercy, he warns against “measuring” our compassion and mercy in a stingy way. It sounds similar to the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

So let’s examine our hearts. Let’s uproot and bring to the Lord the ways we tend to look down on other people or find it easy to point out their faults or refuse to give them the benefit of the doubt. Let’s come to the Lord to receive his forgiveness. When we allow his mercy to lead us to repentance, the “beam” is removed from our eyes, and our hearts are changed. Then we can begin to see differently.

“Jesus, I bring to you anything that prevents me from seeing my neighbor clearly, as you see them, with eyes of mercy and compassion.” (Meditation on Matthew 7:1-5, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in 2 Kings we hear the fall of the northern kingdom and the conqueror deports many of the people. He leaves the poor to practice agriculture. The ten lost tribes of Israel originate here in a just punishment for worship of other gods worship not keeping the commandments thereby calling the punishment upon themselves. The passage from the Gospel of Matthew exhorts us not to judge so we will not be judged. We can't say an evil person is doing evil and we want to heal them. Friar Jude reminds us it is necessary to call them through our own conversion by taking the splinter out of our own eye, seeing clearly, that only love brings conversion.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC faculty emerita Cynthia Bourgeault who describes hope as a quality of God’s mercy, fully available to us. Through contemplative practice and surrender, Bourgeault believes we can experience God’s mystical hope and become a healing presence in the world.

In the contemplative journey, as we swim down into those deeper waters toward the wellsprings of hope, we begin to experience and trust what it means to lay down self, to let go of ordinary awareness and surrender ourselves to the mercy of God. And as hope, the hidden spring of mercy deep within us, is released in that touch and flows out from the center, filling us with the fullness of God’s own purpose living itself into action, then we discover within ourselves the mysterious plentitude to live into action what our ordinary hearts and minds could not possibly sustain. In plumbing deeply the hidden rootedness of the whole, where all things are held together in the Mercy, we are released from the grip of personal fear and set free to minister with skillful means and true compassion to a world desperately in need of reconnection. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to guide us where we struggle to respond in a loving way to the situations that challenge us and to look inward at what might be blocking our openness and understanding. 

References

Braddock, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-22-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7? 

Meditation on Matthew 7:1-5. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/22/1596633/ 

Psalm 60, PSALMS | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/60?3 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Mercy and Mystical Hope. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/mercy-and-mystical-hope/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). First Take the Log out of Your Own Eye. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/17?5 

Betrayal and Hypocrisy

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our experiences of being quick to rush to judgement as we miss or ignore the prompting of the Spirit to be open to mercy and compassion for those in need.

Addressing the Need

The reading from the Second Book of Kings outlines the circumstances under which Israel is carried captive to Assyria.

* [17:6–41] This brief section is the Deuteronomistic historian’s theological reflection on the causes and aftermath of Assyria’s conquest of the Northern Kingdom. The text contrasts the Israelites, who were deported (v. 6) because they abandoned the worship of the Lord (vv. 7–23), with the foreigners who were brought into the land (v. 24) and undertook, however imperfectly, to worship the Lord alongside their own traditional deities (vv. 25–34a). The last verses recapitulate the apostasy of the Israelites (vv. 34b–40) and the syncretism of the foreigners (v. 41). This is a deliberately disparaging, and not wholly accurate, account of the origin of the Samaritans; it reflects the hostility the Judahites continued to hold toward the inhabitants of the northern territories. (2 Kings, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)

Psalm 60 is a prayer for national victory after defeat.

* [Psalm 60] The community complains that God has let the enemy win the battle (Ps 60:3–5) and asks for an assurance of victory (Ps 60:6–7). In the oracle God affirms ownership of the land; the invasion of other nations is not permanent and will be reversed ultimately (Ps 60:8–10). With renewed confidence, the community resolves to fight again (Ps 60:11). The opening lament is picked up again (Ps 60:12), but this time with new awareness of God’s power and human limitation. (Psalms, PSALM 60, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns about judging others.

* [7:5] Hypocrite: the designation previously given to the scribes and Pharisees is here given to the Christian disciple who is concerned with the faults of another and ignores his own more serious offences. (Matthew, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that Jesus’ message for us today challenges us to not just to ignore the faults of others, but to first engage in self-reflection of our own sins. That is demanding work. But if we do that honestly, and try to resolve them, she thinks we might even be able to lovingly help others to resolve their own sins as well. It seems to her that a healthy Christian community is a place where we can all learn to engage in deep self-reflection of our own sins as we lovingly stand in solidarity with and learn to forgive each other.

Unfortunately, our larger society is not ready for this right now. There is too much self-righteousness on the part of people who pass judgment on others without any compassion for them. Jesus clearly warns us against that sort of behavior. I pray today that Christians can model self-examination and forgiveness for others in solidarity with them as we work together to create hope for our nation and the world. (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Judge from justice, forgive from grace,” by Ephrem the Syrian, 306-373 A.D.

"Do not judge, that is, unjustly, so that you may not be judged, with regard to injustice. With the judgment that you judge shall you be judged (Matthew 7:2). This is like the phrase 'Forgive, and it will be forgiven you.' For once someone has judged in accordance with justice, he should forgive in accordance with grace, so that when he himself is judged in accordance with justice, he may be worthy of forgiveness through grace. Alternatively, it was on account of the judges, those who seek vengeance for themselves, that he said, 'Do not condemn.' That is, do not seek vengeance for yourselves. Or, do not judge, from appearances and opinion and then condemn, but admonish and advise." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 6.18B) (Schwager, 2020)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:1-5 comments that Jesus is giving us a choice. When we are tempted to judge someone, we can decide to step closer to them. Instead of choosing separation, we can ask the Spirit to help us find connection. We might just find that connection by recognizing the “beam” in our own eye (Matthew 7:5). Do they have a bad habit? We probably have some too. Did they offend us? Surely, we’ve offended people! Did they make bad choices? Who knows? We might have acted the same way in their shoes.

This is not just about redirecting the judgment to focus on ourselves; it’s about recognizing our common humanity. When we realize that we all fall short in one way or another, we discover that we can relate and even empathize with the person we are tempted to judge. Instead of cutting off the relationship, we can open the door to compassion and love. We need one another. Let’s not let judgments separate us. “Holy Spirit, help me not to judge anyone today.” (Meditation on Matthew 7:1-5, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the deportation to the northern kingdom did not include the poor people and the deportees were replaced with a pagan population. Is it possible that the initial deportees from the northern kingdom were able to unite with the exiles from Judah in a later deportation? Friar Jude reminds us to consider our own conscience to convert our own hearts prior to assisting in the conversion of others.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that emotional sobriety is found when we experience life from our True Self. There is something in us that is not touched by coming and going, by up and down, by for or against, by totally right or totally wrong. This part of us is patient with both goodness and evil, exactly as God is; it does not rush to judgement or demand closure now. Rather, it stands vigilant and patient in the tragic gap that almost every moment offers. Enneagram teacher Russ Hudson, writes of the importance of presence.

Most of my spiritual journey has been about learning how to be present and, from that grounding in presence, learning how to allow love to be what moves me. . . . Presence seems to be something received, that comes to us through a kind of willingness more than through some forceful effort. We come to understand that our will does not operate quite as we might imagine. There is an element of grace, of something miraculous arising in us which gives us the capacity to be awake to our experience. This is hard enough when conditions are favorable—when we are relaxed and not particularly stressed about anything. However, when powerful emotions arise, it is generally much more difficult to find a ground in us that can be compassionately awake with what we are feeling. . . . (Rohr, 2020)

Contemplation and self reflection are practices which open us to the Spirit that directs us to see the log in our own eye as we encounter situations that involve understanding the actions of others.

References

Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062022.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7?1 

Meditation on Matthew 7:1-5. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/06/20/414731/ 

Psalms, PSALM 60. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/60?3 

Rohr, R. (2020, April 17). A Riverbed of Mercy. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-riverbed-of-mercy-2022-06-20/ 

Schwager, D. (2020, April 17). First Take the Log out of Your Own Eye. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jun20 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/17?5