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St. Makarious • “Christians therefore ought to strive continually, and never to pass judgment on anyone – no, not upon the harlot on the street, or upon open sinners and disorderly persons – but to regard all men with singleness of intention and purity of eye, so that it may become like a fixed law of nature to despise no one, to judge no one, to abhor no one, to make no distinctions between them. If you see a man with one eye, be not divided in your heart, but look upon him as if he were whole. If a man is maimed of one hand, see him as not maimed, the lame as straight, the palsied as whole. This is purity of heart, when you see sinners or sick people, to have compassion on them and be tender-hearted towards them.”
We are better than they are… • Superficial behavior or traits: • Intelligence/Knowledge • Appearance • Speech – Accent, vocabulary, reading/speaking ability cursing • Position – How important are they? • Possessions – Money, car, house, etc
St. James • James 2:1-41 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Reflects a wrong set of priorities in us. • We do not trust God for giving us our gifts and talents, but we think that we are responsible for the blessings we receive. • A man who feels indebted to his master, will not very easily feel that he is better than another man.
Spiritual/Moral behavior: • I can judge someone that commits a sin or has a weakness that I believe if I were in their place I would not have committed. • How much faith do they have? • What kind of attitude do they have? • How do they behave?
Pharisee and Tax Collector • Luke 18:9-149 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
What if we are indeed more spiritual than another? Does that give us the right to condemn them? • St. Makarious said we should not even judge harlots.
Reasons not to judge • We do not know the circumstances that lead that person to commit the sin they committed or to be in the circumstance that they are in. • We don’t know what happened to them that day, or what kind of negative experiences they have had in their lives • We don’t know how hard that person tried to keep themselves from committing the sin • We don’t know the level of temptation they experienced
Pope Shenouda • “When we see a brother or sister in sin, there are two things we do not know: First, we do not know how hard he or she tried not to sin. And second, we do not know the power of the forces that assailed him or her. We also do not know what we would have done in the same circumstances.” – HH Pope Shenouda
God looks at the heart • 1 Samuel 16:6-76 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
We judge those that commit sins that we also commit • Example: We label someone that cuts us off in traffic as a horrbile driver. • When I am selfish, I feel justified because I must meet my needs, but when other people are selfish I look down on them.
St. Paul • Romans 2:1-31 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
Judging reveals a lack of compassion • Romans 2:4-74 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
Judging reveals the high opinion we have of ourselves • When I judge others I place myself in a place of authority, being able to discern the motives and struggle of the person I judge. • I am qualified to place people into categories. • I have the best understanding of all matters and impose my opinion on others. • If I would be given authority and charge of the situation, everything would be wonderful…but as it is now everyone around me is not managing it well • A judgmental person cannot admit he is wrong since that would make him fallible just like those he judges.
Judging blinds us to our own sins • Matthew 7:1-51 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. • When we are focused on the mistakes of others, we neglect to see our own faults and mistakes.
God will judge us with the same measure by which we judge others • Luke 6:37-3937 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
We should encourage others to overcome their weaknesses • Galatians 6:1 1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. • The goal is to build up others, and not tear them down.
Daily Self-Examination • “Strange enough that we judge the others strictly for their faults against us, but do not judge ourselves with the same strictness, or rather we do not judge ourselves at all! If you really want to attain the fear of God which is the beginning of the spiritual way, for "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 9: 10), you have to examine yourself every day, what you have done or said or thought of. This is what St. Arsanius the Great did every day. You ought not to examine yourself only with respect to the passive actions you did, but also for the positive things you neglected to do. You will find yourself light on the scales.” -- HH Pope Shenouda
Psalm 50 • “For I am conscious of my iniquity; and my sin is at all times before me. Against You only I have sinned, and done evil before You: that You might be just in Your sayings, and might overcome when You are judged.” • We should not feel that we have mastered any virtue or that we are above any sin, but to always see ourselves as sinners. By examining ourselves we see ourselves more inline with how God sees us, sins and all. This will help us to avoid condemning others because we will be very aware that we commit the same sins of which we accuse them.
Examples of not judging • John 8:3-113 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
In the days of St. Makarious there was a monk that was repeatedly committing adultery in the monastery. His fellow monks found out about what was happening and told St. Makarious who was the abbot. They told him that they would give him proof and waited for the woman to come into the monk’s cell and then call St. Makarious to come to the cell and catch them in the act. When the monk knew that they were coming in, he hid the woman under a large basket in his cell. St. Makarious knew what he had done and went in and sat on the basket. The other monks came and searched the cell, and did not find anyone. They were too embarrassed to ask St. Makarious to stand up to search under him. When they didn’t find anyone, St. Makarious rebuked them for accusing their brother. After seeing what St. Makarious did, the adulterous monk repented of his sin and St. Makarious heard a voice from heaven saying, “Blessed are you Makarious for you have covered the sins of others.” • St. Makarious’ goal was the repentance of the monk. The other monks’ goal was punishment of the monk.
Good judging • Discern the difference between right and wrong. • Avoid people that encourage us to sin or are a bad influence. • Judge when we should rebuke or disciple someone under our authority. • Judge when we commit a sin. • The focus here is protecting ourselves and doing God’s will…not condemning other people. That is God’s job, not ours.
