Do not judge.

3. The third part of the Sermon, contained in the 7^th chapter of the Gospel by Matthew, instructs us not to judge our neighbour, protect holy things from denigration, about steadfastness in prayer, about the wide and narrow paths of life, about false prophets, about true and false wisdom.

“Judge not that you be not judged” — Evangelist Luke relays these words thus: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged” (6:37). It is not judging a person that is forbidden, but condemning him in the sense of gossip, which in the main, manifests itself from conceited and impure impulses — from vain-glory, pride; what is forbidden is slander, bad-mouthing, malicious condemnation of others failings, which emanate from feelings of hatred and malevolence toward a neighbour. If in general, judging a neighbour and his actions was forbidden, then the Lord wouldn’t have said: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine” (Mat. 7:6); and a Christian would not be able to fulfil his responsibility — expose and enlighten sinners, which is decreed by the Lord Himself in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 18, verses 15-17.What is forbidden, is malicious feelings, malevolence, but not the appraisement itself of the actions of a neighbour. Because inasmuch as in not noticing the evil, we could also easily start treating goodness with indifference, and subsequently lose our feelings of differentiation between good and evil.

This is what Saint Golden Tongue has to say: “If somebody is committing adultery, surely I have the right to say to him that adultery is evil, and surely I have the right to correct the profligate? Correct him — not as an enemy, subjecting him to punishment — but as a doctor, offering him medicine. You need to enlighten and not reproach and denounce; not accuse but lament; not to attack with pride but correct with love” (Discourse 23^rd). Christ forbids reproaching people for their deficiencies while not noticing your own faults — which possibly are greater than theirs. Of course, this doesn’t apply to civil courts (which some false teachers are trying to show) or generally appraising people’s actions. What the Lord had in mind was conceited Pharisees, who treated other people with merciless judgment, regarding only themselves as being righteous. Immediately after, the Lord warns His Disciples about preaching His teachings — this true pearl - to those people who like dogs or swine, deeply entrenched in depravity, vices and malefices, treat every type of goodness with bitterness and hatred.