THE FAMILY ALTAR

BRIEF DAILY DEVOTIONS

Based on Selected Scripture Texts

By

F. W. HERZBERGER

St. Louis, Mo.

Concordia Publishing House

July 13.

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye

shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

Luke 6:36-37.

Like father, like child. If the merciful God is our Father,

we, His children, will also be merciful. And we will show our

merciful disposition in our conduct toward our erring brethren.

God's great, undeserved, and tireless mercy toward us will be our

pattern in our dealings with them. Our heavenly Father bears

so patiently with us and our sinful weakness, does not harshly

condemn us on account of our manifold sins, but forgives us daily

and richly all our faults for Jesus' sake. So we are to bear our

neighbor's faults, and when he wrongs us, we must not avenge

ourselves, but forgive him with a loving, merciful heart. How-

ever, we are not to condone evil and call wrong right. Our Savior

does not forbid without distinction all judging and condemning.

Judges and magistrates must condemn and punish crime. God

has given them the sword for that purpose. Parents and teachers

load a fearful responsibility on their conscience when they let the

sins of their children and pupils go unpunished, as did Eli with

his wicked sons. Pastors are charged with the solemn duty to

condemn all sin and unrighteousness by virtue of their holy office,

and Christian congregations must by Christ's command exclude

public and impenitent sinners until they repent. But here the

Lord forbids all uncharitable judging and condemning, of which

even Christians are often guilty in their conduct toward their

fellow-men. Oh, what envy, what hatred, what contention in

families and congregations, even suing in court, this uncharitable

judging and condemning provokes! And how little we guard

against this sin in our private conversations ! How hard it is

for us to forgive and forget a wrong ! Pray God we all may grow

more merciful, even as He is merciful; that we may ever defend

our slandered neighbor, speak well of him, and put the best con-

struction on everything, and forgive him, as we want God to

forgive us. 0 let me never speak

What bounds of truth exceedeth:

Grant that no idle word

From out my mouth proceedeth;

And grant, when in my place

1 must and ought to speak,

My words due power and grace,

Nor let me wound the weak.