One Should Not Judge Others
October 28
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
October 28
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
The sin of judging is the most ungodly sin. This is confirmed by the following story. Saint John the Sabbaite relates the following: “Once a monk from a neighboring monastery came to me, and I asked him: 'How are the fathers living?' He answered: 'Well, through your prayers.' Then I asked about a monk who did not enjoy a good reputation, and the guest said to me: 'He has not changed at all, Father!' Hearing this, I cried out: 'Evil!' And as soon as I said this, I immediately felt as if in rapture and saw Jesus Christ crucified between two thieves. I was about to rush to worship the Savior, when suddenly He turned to the angels standing by and said to them: 'Cast him out, he is the Antichrist, for he has condemned his brother before My judgment.' And when, according to the word of the Lord, I was cast out, my mantle remained at the door, and then I awoke. 'Woe is me,' I said then to the brother who had arrived,'this day is evil for me!' 'Why is this so?' he asked. Then I told him about the vision and remarked that the mantle I had left behind signified that I was deprived of God's protection and help. And from that time on, I spent seven years wandering the deserts, eating no bread, entering no shelter, and conversing with no one, until I saw my Lord, who returned my mantle to me" (Prologue Oct. 22).
So, brethren, you see how grave and ungodly the sin of judging one's neighbor is! But just as grave as it is, so, on the contrary, is it salutary to live in meekness and humility and to judge no one.
A certain monk, who had spent his life in laziness, fell ill and died. As he was drawing his last breath, the brethren surrounded his bed and gazed with amazement at how joyful and carefree he was even at the hour of death. One of the elders asked him, "Brother! We knew that you lived in negligence and laziness. Tell me: why is it that even now, at death's door, you care nothing for yourself and look upon us joyfully?" The dying man replied, "Truly, Fathers, I have lived poorly. But since I became a monk, I have never judged anyone. And now I have seen that the Angels have brought the handwriting of my sins and, because of my meekness, have torn it up before me. Therefore, I depart to the Lord with joy" (Prologue, March 22).
Therefore, brethren, since you hear these things, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden darkness and will make known the intentions of the heart. And then will each one’s praise come from God (1 Cor. 4:5). "Judge not, and you will not be judged; and condemn not, that you may not be condemned" (Luke 6:37). Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Notes:
* In the original text, there is no entry for October 28th. There this is the fourth entry for November 8th.
