Judging

It happened 455 years ago. On 21 March 1556 Thomas Cranmer, once Archbishop of Canterbury, was burnt at the stake outside Balliol College, Oxford. The reason? He was judged to be 'a heretic' and 'traitor'. He is commemorated by the Church of England today as a Reformation Martyr. 


If you want to read a sermon on this theme, try this one by the current Archbishop of Canterbury.


The gospel reading for a weekday Eucharist today seems particularly fitting. In Cranmer's honour, here it is in 16th century English:


"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;
give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over,
shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye met withal,

it shall be measured to you again."

(Luke 6: 36-38)

This post is the 13th in a Lenten series based on 1 or more of the Bible readings from the Common Worship Lectionary of the Church of England. This one is based on Luke 6: 36-38.