Archimandrite Ephraim of Philotheou
A great evil is evil-speaking. As a small rudder leads a ship wherever it will, so the tongue leads a man to good or to evil. The holy fathers greatly denounce the judging of others' sins, failings or bad habits.
For judging a brother we condemn ourselves with a great sin. When we cover a brother, God too covers us from great sins; but when we make him known, we drive the grace of God away from ourselves — the Lord will allow us to fall into those very same sins, that we may learn that we are weak and that the grace of God covers us. He who guards his tongue guards his soul from great sins and falls.
The chief cause of judging and evil-speaking is pride and egoism, for it seems to a man that he is better than others. Therefore it is very profitable to count oneself the least, so as to hold one's brother better and, with God's help, to be able to be delivered from this evil.
Be careful, my child, judge no one. For God will allow the fall of him who judges his neighbour, that he may learn to have compassion on a weak brother. Each of us is strengthened by God's mercy; and if pride overcomes us, God will take away His grace, and we shall become worse than others.
It is one thing to judge, and another to be assailed by judging. Judging is a dreadful passion; but the fight against judging and resistance to it become the cause of the granting of a crown.
Judge not one another, for you transgress the law of the Gospel, and “every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward” (Heb. 2:2). “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?” (Rom. 14:4). Know you not that he who judges has erred out of pride, and that “whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased” (Luke 14:11) by the Lord, when he finds himself in temptation?
One must bear the weaknesses of another. Who is perfect? Who can boast that he has kept his heart undefiled? Therefore we are all sick; and he who judges his brother does not feel that he himself is sick, for a sick man does not judge a sick man.
Judging is no small sin, as neither is impatience with a neighbour's weakness a small thing.
Love, be patient, close your eyes to others' mistakes, be not angry, be not kindled with fury, forgive one another, that you may be like Christ and become worthy to be near Him in the Kingdom.
Beware, my children, of judging. It is a very great sin. When we judge and hate people, God is greatly grieved. Let us care only about our own mistakes, let them pain us, let us judge ourselves — and then we shall find God's mercy and grace.
Love one another and grow not bitter through egoism. Humility is a sure guide. It does not let the humble man strike against the hidden rocks of carelessness and be broken in that collision, but, as a bright guide, leads him unerringly to safety!
Egoism is the greatest of evils. By means of unruly thoughts it makes every mistake plain. Fear it and strive to be freed of it, for the longer it remains in us, left to its own will, the more wounds it deals us, with their answering pains.
I entreat you, judge not one another, for this is pride. The justifying by a brother of a brother's mistake is a witness of humility and love. That brother who does this will find great grace from God; but he who judges and lays a stumbling-block before his neighbour, let him know that not only will he find no grace, but he will lose even what he has, that by suffering he may learn the lesson of humility.
Most of all fear inward judging — judging in the thoughts. And this because it does not become known to another through a word, and there is no possibility that the hearer should correct it. Beware, I say, of inward judging, which unnoticed makes us mortal offenders, cuts us off from the life of divine grace and offers us the most bitter drink — spiritual death.
Of judging the holy Gospel and the fathers tell us much. It is better to fall from a height than from the tongue.
Experience has shown that, if an accused man did not defend himself when accused, he was oppressed. As the holy Gospel says: “Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?” (John 7:51).
If we are not watchful, much judging will be heaped up, and then repentance will be needed. How many times has a man spoken and not had to repent of it? Let us remember the words of Abba Arsenius: “As often as I have spoken, I have repented; but when I kept silence, I never repented.”
If we err even by a touch, how much more by words. Therefore great care is needed, for the devil “as a roaring lion, walketh about”, to swallow us up. A Christian is bound to become like the many-eyed cherubim — evil has greatly increased, especially the sin of judging: it has become like bread and cheese. May God enlighten us and make us holy to His glory.
Do you see that brother who was negligent and slothful, who did not go to church nor to the all-night prayers and did not fulfil his monastic duties? The brethren knew him and held him to be lazy. When he fell ill and the time of his death drew near, the brethren gathered to him to hear something profitable for the soul, or to comfort him, or perhaps to take leave of the dying man. But they saw that he was cheerful. One brother was taken aback and says: “What is this we see, brother? Thou art cheerful when thou drawest near to death. Yet the thought tells us that thou wast no ascetic; whence then hast thou this courage and cheerfulness? What is the cause of it?” “Yes, brethren,” says he, “I was indeed lazy and did not fulfil my duties. But by God's grace I had one good thing: I judged not one brother and laid a stumbling-block before no one. Until sunset I never let my heart have anything against any of the brethren of the monastery. And since I did not judge, neither shall I be judged” (Matt. 7:1). The brethren marvelled and said: “Brother, very easily hast thou found the way of salvation.” With great joy did that brother depart.
Do you see how the fathers struggled, how they found the way of salvation?
