For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Matthew 7:2
Many in our day seek to want to judge and prove it biblical to do so. They will say it is love to judge and right to judge and for anyone to say otherwise seems to take away the freedom of christian individuals. Of course any of us can judge another, in our minds we judge many people everyday in different ways. We all hold opinions of individuals thinking of them in a good or bad light. Our Lord though at times gave a corrective word to those were in a dangerous place of pride and self-importance, he always seemed to have grace to anyone who humbled themselves and saw their need. Jesus did not judge anyone but rather said that the words he spoke would judge people in the end. In other words those who would submit to and fall on the rock of Christ would be shown mercy but those who tried to stand on their own would be judged by the standard of God’s righteousness. There is a saying in the world “what goes around comes around” and that actually is a bible principle that “what someone sows they will end up reaping” (Galatians 6:7). Our Lord is saying the same truth in a different light that the way we judge others, the same the God of the universe will deal with us.
St. John of Kronstadt said, “Do not have a passion for noticing every sin in your neighbor and judging it, as we usually do. Everyone will give an answer for himself before God. Especially, do not look with evil intention on the sins of those older than you, with whom you have no business. But correct your own sins, your own heart.” Chrysostom, said it more plainly, “One who strictly prosecutes the misdemeanors of others will find not condescension towards his own.” It seems younger believers in the Lord consider themselves right in most cases. When I was younger in the Lord, I foolishly was happy to be a part in exposing a preachers failing, sharing the news item with others. Today, I weep and pray for the individual and have sadness over the way it hurts the testimony of Christ in the world. The way of godliness is to pray for your neighbour or other Christian that you see sin in. Come to the person with love and goodwill and win them over with gentleness to help them in their sin (Galatians 6:1). Look to your own live in the area where you are seeing someone fail and ask God to help you in these areas in the fear of the Lord. One desert father in the 3rd century, when asked what to do about the habit of judging others he said to 3 times a day prostrate yourself before God to ask mercy for the person’s sin and for God to have mercy on yourself a sinner. May God cure us from habitually judging others and not ourselves.
