Do not judge, do not criticize. Vs. Reaction to judgment or criticism.

Good morning, happy Wednesday and blessings.

In today's Gospel (John 12: 44-50) there is a phrase spoken by Jesus which has touched me in a special way: because I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. Contrary to what Jesus is saying we somehow love to judge other people. In this reflection we can start asking two basic questions: Why Do We Judge and What Does Judging Look Like?

To judge is to form an opinion or come to a conclusion about someone, and according to Scripture, Jesus had a great deal to say about judgement. There is a heavy weight in judging the heart, and it is not something that Christians should take lightly.

The sin of judgment is often rooted in insecurity and pride. It is easier in our awkwardness to make a comment to the person beside us, than it is to hold the judgement that is on our tongue. And our pride often tells us that judgement is okay because we are and know better than the other person. In essence, our insecurity and pride reveal the judgement of souls through our criticism, gossip, and assumptions of others.

However, it seems necessary to me that we can clarify something that is important. What's the difference between holding someone accountable and being judgmental? I say this because there are people who do not tolerate constructive criticism hiding issues of power, selfishness and immaturity.Accountability is holding someone to the standard of Scripture that you know without a reasonable doubt they have broken, and it often comes with permission. Being judgmental is pinpointing, talking about, criticizing, and making assumptions about what is hidden in the heart of a person and their intentions.

Although we are called to right judgment of explicit sin, we must not confuse it with being judgmental. A judgmental spirit is a critical spirit which is in direct contradiction to what the Bible teaches about building up the church. Wrongful judgment can turn into slander, tearing down others, or unnecessary arguments.  Accountability comes in with the intention of grace, restoration, and repentance. Accountability follows the commands of “being slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). The goal of accountability and right judgement is to confess sin (James 5:16), encourage, build up, and point back to the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

A good rule of thumb is to believe that a person’s intentions are good, until proven otherwise. Colossians ‪3:12-13‬ encourages that as we are one body in Christ, we are to lovingly seek reconciliation with one another: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

In other words, what if from today, first, I start by giving the benefit of the doubt to my sister or brother and I stop making judgments. And second, what if as a disciple of Jesus, I mature in such a way that I can accept constructive criticism without becoming defensive.

Blessings

Fr. Luis+