JUDGE OURSELVES TO AVOID BEING JUDGED

Judge ourselves to avoid being judged.

What we usually do is that we judge others to avoid being judged.  We are not willing to admit our shortcomings.  When we see our sins being committed by others, we tend to throw stones at them. Modern psychologists say that there are different methods of self-deception to avoid dealing honestly our evil thoughts and feelings.  We can broadly put them as three.

1.     Rationalization.  “Everybody is doing it. So I am also doing it,” is a common statement – cheating, bribery, mal-practices, immoral activities etc. In the book of I Sam ch. 15, we see a good example for rationalization. (the confrontation of the prophet with King Saul and Saul putting all kinds of excuses to rationalize what he did)

2.   Projection.  Inferring that others have the shortcomings of you. There is a Malayalam saying: “manja pithamullavar kaanunnathellam manja” which means ‘a person who has jaundice sees everything as yellow in color’.  I am not coming to the Church because everyone that comes there are crooks, thieves, snobs etc.  But studies will show that the person who blames others is the real culprit.  I remember a person who told me that he has stopped coming to the Church because the trustees manipulate the funds etc.  But later I found that while he was the trustee, he was caught for mismanagement of funds.

3. Displacement. For this also there is a Malayalam saying: “Angaadiyil thottathinu ammayodu” which means ‘taking revenge on the mother for the failure in the market’.   Pouring out the frustrations on the helpless victims -  a husband coming from office and quarreling with the wife and children, parents pouring out their frustrations on children,  children coming from Schools and Colleges and becoming wild at home, a person who cannot pour out the frustrations at office or home coming to Church and shouting at the pastor in the General Body etc. are examples of displacement.

In all these, we are trying to hide our weakness and put the blame on others for our condition. We try to escape thus. The right way is to admit our faults in the light of the Word of God and correct ourselves seeking God’s forgiveness. It is more fruitful to blame ourselves for the faults. 

Jesus states this unmistakably in the Sermon on the Mount: (Matt. 7:1-5) “Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”

When you are looking for faults, use a mirror, not a telescope.