>> Blessed Mother Mary.
>> Zechariah and Elizabeth.
>> Bartimaeus.
>> Martha.
>> Mary Magdalene.
>> Levi.
>> Peter.
>> Thomas.
>> Zacchaeus.
>> The man crippled for 38 years.
>> The Samaritan Woman.
>> The woman caught in adultery. 
>> The widow who offered the two mites.
>> The thief alongside Jesus on the cross…

Relax…
… This  is not a reference list of all the main persons of the New Testament for some research purpose or study.

But for a moment, let’s once again have a look at that long list of names…
>> Recall to our minds the lives of these persons….

All of them had to face some sort of trouble in their lives…
>> Some hitches and dilemmas, were a part of all their lives.

Now, if each of them, were to be placed on trial, as in a court…
… and judged according to our standards and our human yardsticks…
… perhaps, most of them would be been condemned and convicted.

>> Some of them would have been humiliated in public
>> Some abused with insults and foul language
>> Some perhaps would be stoned or even put to death!

This is Human Judgment.
>> But in the Light of God’s mercy and by God’s way of judging….we know the story of all their lives!

Human Beings are least equipped to judge, but their judgments are miserable & condemnable…. >> God is fully equipped to judge, but His judgment is praiseworthy & encouraging!

That’s the difference in Judgment between Human Beings and God!

In the Gospel of the Day, Jesus says, “Do not judge!” (Mt 7:1)

We need to clarify what does the word JUDGE mean…

>> The Jury makes judgements.
>> The schools make judgements on students.
>> The company people make judgements on candidates in an interview or in cases of promotion/demotion.

All these may not constitute the judgement that Jesus means.

Judging, in the sense that Jesus meant…
… is condemning!
>> It is to have a negative and pessimistic attitude to human beings and condemning and rejecting them outright and absolutely!!

We could consider “Judge not” from three aspects:
1. We are unworthy to pass a final judgment on any person or situation:
>> Let God be God and let us, as human beings know our status and our limitations.

2. We are not to judge the motives of other people:
>> Human beings see only the external…
… God sees the heart of the person!

3. We are not to be petty faultfinders:
We need to cease having a “microscopic vision”, in order to scan and scrutinize the faults and weaknesses of others.

We need to make an honest examination of our lives…
… Am I being culpable of the fault of rashly “judging” others…

>> Do I…
… blow small things out of proportion…?
… maximize the sins and faults of others and minimize mine?
… come to quick, hasty and negative conclusions?
… pass critical stories to other?
… have a strong bias to find others guilty?
… be too harsh even when speaking the truth?
… dilute an unkind remark by saying, “I was only joking.”
… say something critical and then trying to cover it up?

Even after this examination, if there is a tendency to judge…
… then there is one person we can be critical of… yes, Our Own Selves!

Yes, let us be correcting…
… our actions
… our thoughts
..  our behaviours
… and seek to purify our lives, rather than indulging in mud-slinging on others!

St Francis de Sales, the Gentleman Saint, speaks on rash judgments:
“Bees seeing mist or cloudy weather, go back to their hives to prepare honey.
So too… the thoughts of good persons, do not judge about confused objects or hazy actions of neighbours.

Rather to avoid falling into such occasions, they withdraw themselves into their hearts…
… to prepare there, good resolutions for their own improvement!

It is the occupation of an idle person, to be busy with scrutinizing the life of another!”

May we shun all rash judgments and leave all to the Mercy of God…
>> May we cultivate a spirit of humility and gentleness and imitate our Merciful Father! (Lk 6:36)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

– Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFS
Bengaluru, India