Can I Judge Without "Judging"?

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, we see Jesus using tough language against judging others: "Stop judging, that you may not be judged... Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:1,3). This passage brings up an interesting dilemma as it seems to contradict another important teaching of Christ from Matthew's Gospel itself: "If your brother sins, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone" (Matthew 18:15). In order to point out your brother of a fault, is it not necessary to judge him first? But is it not a sin to judge my brother to begin with?

To overcome this dilemma, we must first understand what judging is. In simple terms, judging is the process of evaluating a situation in order to make a decision or to come to a conclusion. So judging in itself is not a destination, and it is not even the way to the destination, but rather it is a junction. It is an occasion where events and opinions converge before diverging into many options and opinions.  As we can see judging in itself means nothing, what gives it meaning is what happened prior to it and what happens afterward. Another significant factor in judging is the judge himself. Just as the act of judging stands to benefit nothing for itself, the judge must also be impartial. This means a judge cannot impose any personal agenda while judging. All he is allowed to do is consider the facts, check it against something that is absolute (the law, for example), then make a decision as to whether something is right or wrong. 

Now, I can tell you with certainty that when Jesus said not to judge, this was not the kind of judging He meant - He was warning us against judging with contempt. Unfortunately though, that's how most of the world judges. Three things happen when we issue a judgement: 

a) Lack of proper fact checking and inspection of evidence surrounding the incident in question.

b) Ignorance of the absolute right to compare the incident with.

c) Ambition to uphold some personal beliefs.

We all know that two sides make a coin, but when we use judging to prove a point, we are satisfied with just one side of the coin - the side that reflects out motive. So what point are we trying to make by judging this way? 

1) We can judge others to establish a sense of superiority over them. This is when we say, "You are wrong because I said so". 

2) We can judge others to discredit them. This is when we say, "You are wrong because I don't like you".

3) We can judge to justify our mistakes. This is when we say, "You are wrong because I am right".  

4) We can also judge others as an end, rather than means to an end. This is when we say, "It is right and you deserve it".

 Obviously in all these cases, judging is personal - it somehow benefits the judge. This is the kind of judgements that Jesus warned us against. When your brother is at fault, you should make it known to him not for your own benefit, but for his own good. 

Then there is the problem of the splinter and the wooden beam. According to St. Paul to the Romans, "We all have sinned". Then how can I try to correct my brother? We do that by NOT comparing his actions against our own actions or wishes, instead comparing his actions against the Absolute Truth. Jesus Christ is the Way and the Truth and He has given us His word to keep us on course. So anyone who wishes to correct his brother (all Christians have a call to do so) must learn the Way first and show willingness to practice it in their own lives. There are no perfect humans beings; life in Christ is a series of falls and rises. If you wait to achieve perfection before correcting your brother, two things will definitely happen: First, you will never be perfect since you live in an imperfect world. Second, your brother and thus the world, will never be perfect since you failed to act. 

So judge your brother, but judge with the sole intention of your brother's benefit. This also means you have no claim over what happens after he receive the judgement. You cannot take credit if he accepts your judgement and corrects himself. And you cannot be disgruntled if he rejects your judgement and asks you to go and remove the wooden beam from your eyes before giving him any advice. 

On a side note: While praying for inspiration to write this article, the holy Spirit revealed something very interesting - the hypocrisy of those who reject advices. When you reject advices because you think the person who is advising has a wooden beam in his eyes and you only have a splinter, you are committing the very sin that Jesus warned against. By rejecting the advise, you are judging the advisor with contempt and finding him morally inferior to you. Therefore, our focal point should always be the advice and not the advisor. If the advice is good and the advisor bad, then we should take the advice seriously and leave the advisor to God's hands. Because at the end of the day, it is not between you and the advisor, but between you and God. You will be judged according to your deeds, not according to your advisor's.