Judge Not

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.  

And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time, the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me, I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” 

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)

The widow symbolizes all who are poor and defenseless. They must not give up seeking justice.  Easy for us to say.  

God is not an unjust judge, but people are.  In fact, we don’t have to be in a courtroom to judge.  We judge in our homes and at work.  Are we honest judges who respect those we know or love?  Do they have to bother us to get justice?  

More importantly, who are we to judge others? According to a report in America Magazine written by Michael J. O’Loughlin: In “Evangelii Gaudium,” or “The Joy of the Gospel,” which Pope Francis published during the first year of his pontificate and which serves as the blueprint of his papacy, he wrote what has become another of his famous lines. He said that he prefers a church that is “bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” One of the symptoms of the church being closed in on itself, he continued, is that it makes Christians fixate on “rules which make us harsh judges.”

Pope Francis: A church closed in on itself makes Christians fixate on “rules which make us harsh judges.” A little later on in the document, Francis writes about the traits for effective evangelization, which he said includes “certain attitudes which foster openness to the message: approachability, readiness for dialogue, patience, a warmth and welcome which is non-judgmental” (emphasis added).

Why the focus on judgment? Sure, in the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly warns his followers against judging others. So, Pope Francis is certainly drawing on good source material. But he’s actually trying to make a broader point.

He may go down in history as the “Who am I to judge?” pope, but the question he asks points to a Christian virtue much more important to Francis—mercy. To put it succinctly, Pope Francis believes that the world has forgotten what it means to be merciful and that being overly judgmental prevents us from showing mercy to others.

So, who are we to judge?

Deacon David Pierce