Certainty

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-3).

An Angel Leading a Soul into Hell (Hieronymus Bosch)

Sometimes I am so sure of a thing that I would bet my own life on the event.  I am so sure that some things are good and others are bad.  I am so sure that one person has intentionally hurt me and another has not.  I am so sure that someone has done a good thing or a bad thing.

And yet, God says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-3).

And I have been thinking about that over the last few days…

You see, it seems that I am no better than the Pharisees…

“A Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. And the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.’” (Luke 11:37-41).There they were sitting at the table with God and judging Him on whether He had washed His hands in a ritual cleansing.  There was no compassion in that judgement, no empathy.  There was – in fact – o fairness.  I wonder now – knowing that Christ is without sin and infallible – whether Christ was deliberate in this action twenty centuries ago, just to prove a point to ignorant judgemental souls like mine…?  Was I in His head as He did those things that night?  Did He smile inwardly at the certain soul who is almost certainly wrong?

There is such a sinfulness in judgement because it is in defiance of the virtue of charity…

You see, charity is love and love does not judge.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Ans I have been thinking about that today.  For what is the point of receiving the sacraments and praying my prayers through thin lips, if all I am really doing to begrudging my God what He has in store for me because I am inwardly distracted with judging others?  What is the point?  The Lord is my God and He is my Judge.  I can certainly leave that judgement to Him…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.