Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2
“He who busies himself with the sins of others, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet even begun to repent or to examine himself so as to discover his own sins, which are truly heavier than a great lump of lead; nor does he know why a man becomes heavy-hearted when he loves vanity and chases after falsehood (cf. Ps. 4:1). That is why, like a fool who walks in darkness, he no longer attends to his own sins but lets his imagination dwell on the sins of others, whether these sins are real or merely the products of his own suspicious mind.”
Maximus the Confessor (d. 662) in Philokalia V2.92.
Someone asked me: What is the Philokalia?
It is a collection of texts written by deeply spiritual people, often labeled as monks and mystics, between the 4th and 15th centuries. It’s awesome reading. Each year I explore it with my word for the year to gain new insights.
This year, as you may recall, my word is examine.
Jesus instructs us not to judge others. Maximus echos that. And yet, Paul tells us not to judge those outside the faith but to judge those inside. Hear his words on this to the church in Corinth.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
We can reconcile these texts if we understand the heart of Jesus (and Maximus) and the context in Corinth.
Jesus wants us all to examine ourselves. He goes on in the text of Matthew’s Gospel and alerts us not to focus on the splinter in someone else’s eye and focus on the log in our own. This examination should lead us to locate and let go of sins that beset us.
Simultaneously, we live out our faith in community.
Within the community of Corinth, some thought they could live sexually immoral lives or as drunkards or swindlers. Paul proclaimed that such lifestyles needed to be abandoned for people to live out the Christian faith together. And notice he includes greedy people in the list of those that don’t belong.
This word can also be rendered “avaricious” or “covetous” or “always desiring more.”
So think of it this way. Paul wants us to each examine ourselves. He also wants us to understand that there’s no place in God’s family for people controlled by their lusts instead of by their Lord..
As I fly across the Pacific, I ask God to help me and every reader be controlled by our Lord and not by our lusts. Jesus, Paul, and Maximus desire us to grasp the former through examination and submission to the Holy Spirit as we attend to our own sins.
When this happens, we will do not appear any longer as greedy but as generous. Make it so, Lord Jesus.