In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus commands: “Stop Judging.” St. Paul picks up that theme: “Do not make any judgment before the appointed time.” But we make judgments all the time! Which politician should I vote for? How would I rate this restaurant? In trying to understand the Biblical commandment I recalled an incident where one of the elderly in the parish was mugged. I remembered thinking “there must be a special place in hell for those who prey on the elderly.” Jesus and Paul want us to understand that while we condemn the crime, the behavior, we can’t judge how the perpetrator stands before God. Because they did a bad thing does not make them bad, evil. Hate the sin, love the sinner.
