About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result, she is now pregnant." Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death." Genesis 38:24
There is little worse than the unrighteous passing judgment on another. Judah declared that his daughter-in-law Tamar should be killed for her promiscuity. All along, Judah knew he wasn't qualified to pass judgment on anyone in this regard. Three months earlier, he had solicited a prostitute. Several years earlier, he made a promise to Tamar that he would have his son Shelah fulfill the role of kinsman redeemer, to carry on the name of Er, the husband she lost, yet he never intended to keep his promise. Some time before that, Judah participated in a plot to kill his brother Joseph, and it was his idea to sell Joseph into slavery.
Judah had no room to pass judgment on anyone. Nor do I.
Lord, I have been wicked in Your sight more times than I can imagine. Thankfully, You have been merciful. Er and Onan were wicked, and You took their lives. I deserve the same.
So why do I sometimes judge the actions of others? I am not worthy to judge them. If I got what I deserved, I would no longer be alive. But You have loved me enough to forgive. Thank You, Father, for Your mercy.
Help me, Lord, to be filled with mercy. Help me to see the wrongs of others and understand: they need Your mercy and redemption just as I do. Make me a man of compassion. Make me a man who stands up for what is right - without condemnation. It is not my place. It is Yours. And You chose to send Your Son. Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of eternal life.