At the very beginning of the Royal Court hearing, the whole assembly was very quiet whilst an official read a prayer in French. I could hardly make out the prayer. Here is a translation – alongside.
The Royal Court, in judging, always prays for the guidance of the Holy Spirit of the living God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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“Lord God, almighty and eternal Father, we pray that you will guide this Court by your Holy Spirit so that, having your gift of wisdom and understanding, it may do justice to all, rightly judging that the good and the innocent be upheld and protected, and wrongdoers punished and restrained so that the truth of your word may be applied among us, and you may reign here through Jesus Christ Our Lord....”
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And we undoubtedly need the police and the courts to keep society (as best they can and in conjunction with other helpful agencies) from disintegrating through evildoing.
So, what’s this then about “Judge not…” which Jesus taught that day around AD 30? In particular, did Jesus forbid me to judge myself?
One of the loveliest incidents around AD 30 is on the record in Luke’s biography of Jesus. It’s about a woman who judged herself, came to Jesus, found forgiveness and loved him with all her heart. Here it is.
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then, turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
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