Judge yourself before others

We all judge whether its our friends, family, someone we meet; we are all prone to judgement on others. Why though? Why are we so prone to judgement on others? Well its part of our human nature. The devil will try to get us to think bad thoughts about someone, or point out their flaws but Jesus gives us a clear message in the Gospels to not judge. One of my favorite example of this is John 8:1-11:

while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.* But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.* So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

Jesus is telling us here to not go around judging people's actions, and instead look at yourself to see where you need improvement. The only one who can lawfully judge is God because he knows us better than we know ourselves, and his judgement is just. Unlike ours which is clouded by the stain of original sin, and the temptation of the devil. Jesus makes this clear when he says, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." What did the people do (starting with the Pharisees)? Left, they simply left because not one of them was perfect. 

Now did Jesus condemn well he could have because he is God; but he did not instead he forgave the woman, and told her to go and sin no more. This is exactly what he tells us to do when we confess to him in confession. To summarize Jesus is telling us not to judge people's actions, and their motives behind those actions. Now don't get me wrong here we all have our opinions, but we do not need to suspect and judge. We don't know everyone's story, and probably never will unless they tell us.

So, today ask god to give you the graces to hold judgement against others, and give you the graces to fight the tendency to judge. The opposite of judgement is compassion which leads to mercy and eventually forgiveness.

Thank You Lord for your endless mercy and forgiveness and give us the graces we need to steer away from judgement and towards compassion.

God Bless,

Sarah