What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘Judge not lest ye be judged?’ Not what many people think He meant...

[Michie]

Jesus said (Matthew 7:1): “Judge not lest ye be judged.” And many people since, including many Christians catechized by modern culture, have translated this to mean that the whole law and the prophets – indeed, the whole teaching of Christianity, is that Christians should simply refrain from assessing what others are and do. Especially, it seems, if what they are and do contradicts Christianity. It’s devilish madness, of course. And even as a matter of sheer logic, so obviously impossible and self-contradictory, that it’s hard to believe such nonsense has become so widely accepted as the very essence of what it means to be Christian.

And yet it has. And has been reinforced – intentionally or not – even within the Church. It’s become tiresome to have to point out how even the current pope and others close to him feed these confusions. But let us gird up our loins and, once again, try to make sense about this crucial matter.

The root of the recent problem began, of course, with the pope’s infamous remark – “Who am I to judge?” – on a plane back from Brazil early in his pontificate. A reporter asked about Battista Ricca, a prelate with a notoriously homosexual past in Uruguay, whom Francis had just appointed as director of the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house where the pope has chosen to live. (Francis’s remark actually wasn’t a judgment about homosexuality in general. It was – properly – conditional: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”)

The smart-aleck response to “Who am I to judge?,” however, has been given for all time: “Who do you need to be?” And anyway, the reporter hadn’t asked what Francis thought about homosexuality. If you’re the pope, you’re the one who has to decide who is suitable, and not, for many sensitive positions serving God’s faithful people in the Church – like the place where you and many of your colleagues will be living. You’re not, at the moment, being asked about someone’s eternal destiny. So why pivot to a current cliché?

There’s no avoiding making such judgments, which may prove to be wise – or, as in this case, not, given the predictable misinterpretation of the pope’s words. And in the Church, as in all human institutions, such judgments inescapably involve not only competence, but morals.

Continued below.

On Judging Others – Wrongly, and Rightly - The Catholic Thing

Robert Royal: As a matter of sheer logic, what most people today mean by "Who am I to judge?" is nonsense. It's barely even Christian.

www.thecatholicthing.org

 

[Grip Docility]

Jesus said (Matthew 7:1): “Judge not lest ye be judged.” And many people since, including many Christians catechized by modern culture, have translated this to mean that the whole law and the prophets – indeed, the whole teaching of Christianity, is that Christians should simply refrain from assessing what others are and do. Especially, it seems, if what they are and do contradicts Christianity. It’s devilish madness, of course. And even as a matter of sheer logic, so obviously impossible and self-contradictory, that it’s hard to believe such nonsense has become so widely accepted as the very essence of what it means to be Christian.

And yet it has. And has been reinforced – intentionally or not – even within the Church. It’s become tiresome to have to point out how even the current pope and others close to him feed these confusions. But let us gird up our loins and, once again, try to make sense about this crucial matter.

The root of the recent problem began, of course, with the pope’s infamous remark – “Who am I to judge?” – on a plane back from Brazil early in his pontificate. A reporter asked about Battista Ricca, a prelate with a notoriously homosexual past in Uruguay, whom Francis had just appointed as director of the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house where the pope has chosen to live. (Francis’s remark actually wasn’t a judgment about homosexuality in general. It was – properly – conditional: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”)

The smart-aleck response to “Who am I to judge?,” however, has been given for all time: “Who do you need to be?” And anyway, the reporter hadn’t asked what Francis thought about homosexuality. If you’re the pope, you’re the one who has to decide who is suitable, and not, for many sensitive positions serving God’s faithful people in the Church – like the place where you and many of your colleagues will be living. You’re not, at the moment, being asked about someone’s eternal destiny. So why pivot to a current cliché?

There’s no avoiding making such judgments, which may prove to be wise – or, as in this case, not, given the predictable misinterpretation of the pope’s words. And in the Church, as in all human institutions, such judgments inescapably involve not only competence, but morals.

Continued below.

On Judging Others – Wrongly, and Rightly - The Catholic Thing

Robert Royal: As a matter of sheer logic, what most people today mean by "Who am I to judge?" is nonsense. It's barely even Christian.

www.thecatholicthing.org

Spiritual Discernment is crucial. If the pope didn't have it, he wouldn't have been able to navigate that very complex scenario. Clearly, by the Love of Jesus Christ, which no doubt abundantly fueled his interaction, he has much Spiritual Discernment.

 

[frienden thalord]

Jesus said (Matthew 7:1): “Judge not lest ye be judged.” And many people since, including many Christians catechized by modern culture, have translated this to mean that the whole law and the prophets – indeed, the whole teaching of Christianity, is that Christians should simply refrain from assessing what others are and do. Especially, it seems, if what they are and do contradicts Christianity. It’s devilish madness, of course. And even as a matter of sheer logic, so obviously impossible and self-contradictory, that it’s hard to believe such nonsense has become so widely accepted as the very essence of what it means to be Christian.

And yet it has. And has been reinforced – intentionally or not – even within the Church. It’s become tiresome to have to point out how even the current pope and others close to him feed these confusions. But let us gird up our loins and, once again, try to make sense about this crucial matter.

The root of the recent problem began, of course, with the pope’s infamous remark – “Who am I to judge?” – on a plane back from Brazil early in his pontificate. A reporter asked about Battista Ricca, a prelate with a notoriously homosexual past in Uruguay, whom Francis had just appointed as director of the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house where the pope has chosen to live. (Francis’s remark actually wasn’t a judgment about homosexuality in general. It was – properly – conditional: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”)

The smart-aleck response to “Who am I to judge?,” however, has been given for all time: “Who do you need to be?” And anyway, the reporter hadn’t asked what Francis thought about homosexuality. If you’re the pope, you’re the one who has to decide who is suitable, and not, for many sensitive positions serving God’s faithful people in the Church – like the place where you and many of your colleagues will be living. You’re not, at the moment, being asked about someone’s eternal destiny. So why pivot to a current cliché?

There’s no avoiding making such judgments, which may prove to be wise – or, as in this case, not, given the predictable misinterpretation of the pope’s words. And in the Church, as in all human institutions, such judgments inescapably involve not only competence, but morals.

Continued below.

On Judging Others – Wrongly, and Rightly - The Catholic Thing

Robert Royal: As a matter of sheer logic, what most people today mean by "Who am I to judge?" is nonsense. It's barely even Christian.

www.thecatholicthing.org

They confuse judge with condemnation .
We are supposed to judge those within the church , but condmen one , putting one to death , NOT to be done .
Too many are , as you said , falling for a deception which implies that judge not
actually means Do not correct , do not expose sin , just tolerate it all . That be a heavy duty whopper too .
Todays judge not would actually have cast out both Christ and those apostels whom I KNOW did CORRECT and did expose sin .
Even to the point of saying eat not with any who calls themselves brethren that be in Known sin .
you see todays judge not , did one thing , IT ALLOWED leaven to not be corrected and thus leaven brought a whole lot of buddies
and leavened them up big time . Just a friendly reminder to all .
You see the real reason so many love this other version of todays judge not
and will happily ignore or even embrace the sins of others is , HEY THEY dont want their sin exposed either .
Its a live and let live , to thine own self be true mindset .
ONLY it sure aint serving or pleasing TO GOD at all . And correct me if i am wrong
but arent we supposed to be doing , teaching , saying the things that were pleasing to GOD .
Correct me if i be wrong , but i sure DONT THINK SIN and rebellion IS in any way PLEASING TO GOD .
IF truth be told , and you can bet it will be told on my watch , ME thinks a man pleasing number building
mindset has heavily been taught and that many have loved this to be so .
Just some super needful and super friendly reminders today . This generation of a lot of christendom
is more into the idea of preaching things that please men , NOT GOD . and by golly that aint gonna save or help them folks either .

 

[frienden thalord]

For if i sought to please men i would not be the servant of Christ . WE NEED TO seek to do and to encourage to do
the things that PLEASE GOD . You see had we taught that , it is what works out best for the church .
Today the judge not , aka correct not , led too that which is evil being honored and called good
and the holy words of GOD in the bible be seen rather as evil and as hate . Sounds to me
like the ol dragon aint been sleeping at all and has through men created a flesh pleasing , flesh serving
religoin that has sought to please man with the idea he has salvation as well .
Only the last time i checked CHRIST aint the minsitir of anyones sin . NOW IS HE ....
but i know WHO IS the minstir of sin and beleive you me he sure can appear as though he be an angel of light
BUT HE BE DARKNESS
so marvel not if his own ministirs can also appear as men of righteousness and lead a HECK OF A LOT of folks
away into deceptoin and do so through many pulpits in many churches . Just some VERY friendly reminders .

 

[frienden thalord]

Spiritual Discernment is crucial. If the pope didn't have it, he wouldn't have been able to navigate that very complex scenario. Clearly, by the Love of Jesus Christ, which no doubt abundantly fueled his interaction, he has much Spiritual Discernment.

Yea , even a lot of catholics big time disagree with this pope .
Just cause one is in a office dont mean one cannot fall . the sooner both the protestant and catholic realm learn
this the far better off folks would have been .
Just a super friendly reminder to all that has breath . Very dire and needful reminder too .
Do be encouraged by it .

 

[WarriorAngel]

Judging people to hell.

Instead teach them, as He sent out Apostles to do so.

Pray for your enemies.

But we can judge their actions to which they need help to get away from. Hence we go out and preach to the lost.

 

[Paul4JC]

The Lord Jesus also said, [Jhn 7:24 NIV] Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly."