We are meant to judge, but to judge fairly

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

IN spite of our first impression on Christ’s words that we should not judge, since he said, “Judge not that you may not be judged,” we have to make it clear that we are actually meant to judge, but to judge fairly.

We are meant to judge precisely because we have been given the capacity to know things, situations and people as well with our God-given powers of intelligence and will. The very act of knowing already involves some judgment. We cannot know anything unless we make some judgments.

But we need to realize that we should judge fairly. Somehow this point is implied when Christ said, “For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

In fact, in the gospel of St. John, we hear Christ saying: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge just judgment.” (7,24) It’s clear that we have to be most careful in our judgments. We cannot be reckless about them, judging persons and things on the basis of instincts or feelings alone, or on some opinions, personal preferences, social trends, and even sophisticated theories and ideologies. 

Such way of judging cannot capture the essential issues involved in a particular case. It will unavoidably get entangled with the non-essential elements. It will be at the mercy of the wiles of the flesh, the world and the devil himself.

We have to judge with Christ himself, and now in the Holy Spirit. With respect to this point, St. Paul had this to say: “He that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” (1 Cor 2,15) It is not pride to aspire to that ideal of being so spiritual to be able to judge all things.

Only in this way can we become persons of sound judgment. It’s an ideal whose importance, relevance and urgency are increasing these days, given the complicating conditions we are getting into.

That’s actually an understatement. We know that to be a prudent man or a person of sound judgment is essential to us, considering our nature and dignity, plus the growing scope of the responsibilities we are acquiring nowadays.

Not only do we have to contend with the multiplying pressures and conditionings on our personal, family and professional life. Not only do we have to grapple with the confusing ramifications of our social, economic and political life, sorting them out as best that we could.

With escalating insistence, we need to learn how to integrate the material with the spiritual dimension of our life, the here and now with the eternal and supernatural destiny meant for us.

We have to know how to live by faith, hope and charity, the essence of our supernatural life with God, in the middle of our daily activities and concerns, and in the pursuit of our temporal affairs, be it in business, politics, education, culture, sports, etc.

This necessity demands of us to be nothing less than persons of sound judgment. We have to overcome our tendency to be guided mainly by instincts, emotions, moods, fashions, and some sophisticated philosophies and ideologies that, while offering many good elements, actually lead us away from our proper end.

Let’s never dare to emit judgments that are mere products of our own making. We have to make them always in the presence of God and motivated by nothing other than love for God and for everybody else. We have to continually check on the rectitude of our intention, and the correctness and timeliness of our words and deeds.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Judging and being merciful

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“BE merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged…For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (Lk 9,36-38)

We need to process these words of Christ slowly if only to conform ourselves to them, something that given our human condition is most likely very difficult if not impossible for us to do.

More than processing them slowly, we first have to pray, asking for grace, for definitely the possibility of us following this divine indication can only take place if we have God’s grace. If we simply depend on our good intentions and best human effort, forget it! We can never give life to these words.

We have to understand that our ability to forgive and to judge properly can only take place when we are with God. For this we have to follow as closely as possible the example of Christ who, out of love for us and in spite of our grave sins, was and continues to be willing to bear our sins and to offer forgiveness.

We have to remember that if we truly have to be ‘another Christ’ as we ought to be, we have to know how to be merciful the way Christ, the fullness of God’s revelation to us, was and continues to be merciful to all of us.

And how was Christ merciful to all of us? First of all, being the son of God, he emptied himself to become man. That way, he already adapted himself to our wounded, sinful condition. He identified himself with us so that we would have a way to identify ourselves with him. He preached the truth about God and about ourselves. 

He gave preferential attention to the sick, that is, the sinners. He was always ready to forgive, his mercy and compassion having no limits—“not only seven times, but seventy times seven times.” (Mt 18,22) He taught about loving the enemy and living it. He did not mind all the insults and mockeries that were poured on him just to accomplish his mission of saving us.

And in the end, he assumed all our sins without committing sin by dying on the cross. In that way, he dealt death to all our sins, and with his resurrection he offered us a way for our own salvation and reconciliation with our Father God. He was thoroughly magnanimous.

And so, we just have to learn to forgive and move on. This is what we should do if ever we become a victim of some offense by someone. We should be quick to forgive and then move on, focused on doing what we are supposed to do. We should avoid getting stuck with the offense, wallowing in anguish, complaints and hatred, and keeping resentments, grudges and desires for revenge.

Let’s remember that all of us have sins that need to be forgiven also. And as Christ said it clearly, we can only be forgiven if we also forgive others. “If you will forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offenses,” he said. “But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you for your offenses.” (Mt 6,14-15)

We have to develop the proper attitude in this particular issue because, truth to tell, we cannot avoid being offended by others just as neither can we avoid offending others also. That’s part of our human condition here on earth.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com