20210911 JUDGEMENT AND JUDGMENTALISM
11 September, 2021, Saturday, 23rd Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Timothy 1:15-17 © |
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
Here is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them; and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who would later have to trust in him to come to eternal life. To the eternal King, the undying, invisible and only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 112(113):1-7 © |
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn14:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 6:43-49 © |
Whoever hears me builds his house on a rock
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.
‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do what I say?
‘Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them – I will show you what he is like. He is like the man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’
JUDGEMENT AND JUDGMENTALISM
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Tm 1:15-17; Ps 113:1-7; Lk 6:43-49]
In yesterday’s gospel, Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” (Lk 6:37) Many of us take this teaching out of context and conclude that all moral judgments are wrong. Indeed, this is what advocates of moral relativism are saying. Everything is subjective. It all depends on the person and his motives and circumstances. To say that an action is right or wrong is to judge the person. So in some circumstances, what is right can be wrong and what is wrong can be right. Moral relativism leads to pragmatism. Doing what is expedient at a particular point of time. But no principles are everlasting or eternal.
However, there is a difference between making judgments and being judgmental. A judgmental person is often blind to his own sins. He is quick to see the faults in others but fails to see his own faults. This was why the Lord said, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye?” (Lk 6:41f) A self-righteous person is blind to his own sins and thinks that he is superior to others. But the worst form of judgmentalism is when we are hypocritical in condemning others knowing we are committing the same sins. How often we do the same things that we condemn in others? St Paul condemned his fellow Jews for such hypocritical behaviour. “Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.” (Rom 2:1)
Jesus is not saying that we cannot judge moral situations or doctrinal truths. Indeed, we must. This is why immediately after teaching His disciples not to judge, Jesus taught them how to judge correctly. An objective judgment can and at times must be made with regard to situations, events and persons. But it must be based on objective facts. Hence, Jesus gave us the analogy of a tree and the fruits it produces. Jesus said, “There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit; people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles.” We are therefore not judging the heart or the motives of the persons but from the thoughts, words and actions the person manifest, we can assess the person’s character. As the Lord reiterates, “A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flows out of what fills his heart.” We can have confidence that doing follows being.
Of course, we also have people who are deceptive. The words and actions they say and do are not sincere. They come from a selfish, self-centred and manipulative heart. So it is true that not all nice words and good actions necessarily prove that the person is good, honest and have a sense of integrity. They could do all these things to give us a good impression so that they can win us over. We all have been cheated and deceived by such people in our lives. This is why it takes time to trust a person. There are some who entrust their lives to another too easily, and they get hurt just as easily too. We have read of betrayals and scammers.
So time will tell whether the person is genuine or not. When we discern whether a person is good or not, it must not just be based on what the person does now, but we need to observe the beginning, the middle and the end. It is constancy in the person’s words and actions that we come to know his character. Reputation is made in a few moments but character requires a whole life. This is why Jesus gave us an analogy of a tree because a tree needs time to grow before it can bear fruits. So when Jesus told us to judge by the fruits the tree produces, He was not simply asking us to judge the tangible facts we see, but whether such fruits are lasting. If a tree bears just a few fruits and dies, it means it is not a genuine tree. Jesus did caution us in the Parable of the Wheat and Darnel, to take time to make a proper judgment and not be too quick to make any conclusion about someone.
How, then, can we make good judgments? Firstly, we must begin with humility and examine our own conscience and conduct every day. The Church invites us to conduct an examen three times a day, in the morning, midday and in the evening before we sleep. This is to help us be in touch with ourselves, our motives, our feelings and our life. The reality is that most of us go through life each day saying things and doing things without reflecting on our motives, or whether they are right or wrong. We move from event to event not recognizing whether God was present or absent in our thoughts, words and deeds. Unless we are conscious of ourselves, we cannot judge others. Our judgment will not only be faulty but often merciless, lacking compassion. We presume the worst of people and attribute evil motive, even to innocent actions of people. We do not give people the benefit of the doubt or try to understand their struggles, the circumstances they are in. We only look at the fault or mistake without looking at the heart. We lack magnanimity and understanding. This is why judgment begins with a humble prayer of recognition of one’s sins. (cf Ps 51:10-13)
St Paul was a forgiving person because he was aware that he was a sinner. He wrote, “Here is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them; and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who would later have to trust in him to come to eternal life.” Indeed, even after his conversion, he continued to struggle to grow in holiness and integrity. In the letter to the Romans, he wrote, “When I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:21-24)
Secondly, we must take reference from the teaching of Christ, applying the scriptures to our life. Unless we take the Word of God seriously and do it, our lives are founded on sand. St Paul writing to Timothy reminded him, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16) God’s word in scripture, and then taught by the Magisterium, must guide our moral conduct. Some teachings are very clear and definitive and must be followed. There are others which have to be applied judiciously as such matters are more of prudence and charity rather than a question of right or wrong. Others are exhortation when they are not concerned with faith and morals. They are meant to inspire and enlighten us.
But it is not enough to read the Word of God. We must listen to it and then carry it out. Jesus says, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say? Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them is like the man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built.” The truth is that in doing what we have read or heard, we reinforce the Word of God in us. So just by listening without putting into practice will not help us to live an honest life. The Lord said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Lk 8:21) And then again when someone praised His mother, He answered, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Lk 11:27f) St James also made a similar reminder. “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” (Jms 1:22-24) When we put the Word of God into practice, then we can verify the truth of the Word of God in our lives. This is the surest way of confirming the truths of the scriptures as the Word of God that guides our lives.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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