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While doom-scrolling on Tik Tok (don’t follow my example!), there was this video I saw of an old TV series where they had a kindly, elderly judge who would carry out judgements in his small courtroom.   And the people that stood before him had always interesting reasons as to why they are being charged in court and how he dealt with each one of them was very entertaining. There was one particular episode - where his childhood friend stood before him, charged with an offense. The courtroom held its breath. Would the judge show mercy? Or enforce the law? He did both. He pronounced the man guilty—because he was. But then he stepped down from the bench, took off his robe, and paid the fine himself. Justice. Mercy. One act. One heart. That story echoes the very heartbeat of Romans 3:25–26 (NIV) : “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith… so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Let that soak in for a moment. God is the judge. And He’s also the one who takes the punishment. The law had to be fulfilled. Sin had to be dealt with. If God had ignored it, He wouldn't be just. But if He destroyed us because of it, how would we ever know His love? So, in an act that still makes angels rejoice in awe, God did both. He upheld justice and unleashed mercy. He sent Jesus to the courtroom— not as the lawyer, but as the one who would stand in your place . Can you imagine that courtroom scene? The gavel pounds. Guilty. Your list of charges is long: pride, envy, impatience, every time you rolled your eyes in traffic or withheld forgiveness one more day. The law is clear. The fine is steep. The sentence is death. But just as you’re led away, Jesus stands. “I’ll take it,” He says. And the Judge—who is also your Father—lets Him. Justice is satisfied. Mercy is magnified. And you? You walk out free. Who does that? Who both judges and justifies?  Only God. Only grace. You were guilty. But Jesus stood in. You were condemned. Now you are called righteous—because the Judge took your sentence and gave you His Son. And that changes everything.

There is a colleague in my office.  He can spot the flaw in every one else - except the one in the mirror. Let's call him Rick.  Rick was the kind of guy who could tell you what was wrong with your plan while not coming up with anything new.  He critique's everyone's work - except his own.  If someone was late to a meeting, it was disrespectful.  But when Rick was late?  "Traffic!" of course! We all know of a Rick. Some of us are Rick, on Tuesdays. Paul, in Romans 2, had something to say about this. “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things” (Romans 2:1, NIV). It’s as if God holds up a mirror—not to shame us, but to show us. He’s not asking for guilt-trips or self-loathing. He’s simply saying: Take a look. A real one. No filters. No excuses. Just truth. And here’s the kicker: God doesn’t hold up a mirror to mock you. He holds it up to free you. We judge others by actions, but we want to be judged by intentions. I snap at my wife and say, “Sorry, long day.” But when someone snaps at me? “Well, someone skipped their morning prayers.” We excuse ourselves with grace, but hand out judgment like a judge on Britain's Got Talent. Romans 2 says that when we judge, we condemn ourselves because we’re doing the same things — just maybe not as loudly. It reminds me of the time my daughter caught me sneaking a Coke Zero after telling that it's not good for her. “Is that a can of Coke in your mouth, Father?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “It's just that I am thirsty,” I mumbled sheepishly. Caught. Mirror, meet Father. God asks us to be perfect. He also asks us to be honest. He knows that judging others builds walls, but examining ourselves builds bridges.  God wants us to act differently.  One where we lose the lecture and speak with love.  One where we choose humility over hypocrisy. One where we admit that sometimes the biggest work God needs to do isn’t in them — it’s in me. When we read Romans 2:1-3, let us not look at it as if it is a finger pointing at you.  Look at it as if it's a hand reaching toward you. God’s kindness doesn’t expose to shame you — it exposes to save you.  He doesn’t bring truth to rub it in, but to rub it out.  And when we stop trying to fix everyone else and start letting Him fix us? That’s when the real miracle begins. So next time you’re tempted to judge someone else’s mess, remember this: You might be looking through a window. But God is holding up a mirror. And hopefully and thankfully, in that mirror, He sees not just what’s wrong — but what He’s making right.

From Chapter 40, it marks the start of the vision shown to Ezekiel of a new temple that is to be built in Jerusalem. Did your eyes glaze over as you read the 2 chapters?   Imagine you were Ezekiel and you were told to pay close attention to everything that he was being shown and then go and tell the people everything he had seen.   4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.”  ~ Ezekiel 40:4 ~ What follows is Ezekiel being first led to see the Eastern Gateway of the Temple, then the Outer Court, Northern and Southern Gateway to the Temple, Gateways to the Inner Courts, where the sacrifices were made, the chambers for the priests and singers.  And then, very careful recordings of the dimensions of the different parts of the temple were specified and recorded down. Why do you think this was done? Being a person who is not very detail oriented, I cannot quite understand the need for all the exact measurements to be spelled out.  What’s wrong if the measurements are out by an inch or two? Then it struck me.  God cares for His people so much that He does not want to leave any stone unturned for His people.  In our daily lives many things happen - big or small.  Some are blessings and some are trials.  Some are good things, some are bad.  God is interested in us, His People.  Even to the most minute detail! And He has given us specific instructions in His Holy Word for many areas of our life.  The question is, do our eyes glaze over the Words from the Bible.  Or do we, like Ezekiel, listen carefully and then tell it to others? Last night I had a dream and in that dream, I had a very big pain in my leg and could not figure it out.  And for some reason, a Deacon of the church was examining me as if he was a doctor.  And then after he diagnose that there was some issue with my leg (could not remember what was said), his conclusion was this… “This is why you need to get better and after that, go out and preach the Gospel!” Tears welled up as I recall this and am writing this now.   Was this a rebuke?  Areminder?  A warning?  An admonishment?  An encouragement? God through His infinite wisdom. Mercy and grace has given us all the details (truth) of Salvation. Should we not go and tell others about it so that they also know of it? And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ~ Mark 16:15-16 ~ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ~ Romans 1:16 ~ Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ~ 2 Timothy 4:2 ~ May we be interested in all the little details that God reveals to us and after listening carefully to it, tell it to others as well.