Reflection: Matthew 7:1-5

12th Monday in Ordinary Time – Matthew 7:1-5

Jesus’ challenge for us today is not an easy one. He tells his disciples (and us) to “Stop judging.” Now that is a difficult challenge for most of us. “Judgment” comes from deep within us. Someone may do or say something that violates what we believe or hold sacred. Or it may be something as simple as someone not putting an item back where it belongs. Or someone may say something to us that cuts us to the core.

We all have standards. Most of them we began learning at a very young age (perhaps even in the womb). At such a young age, we didn’t even know we were learning standards. Thus, our family standards typically are unconscious. These standards often lead us to automatically judge another person’s behavior or attitude.

Most of what we learned as children was essential to us. However, we also learned attitudes of judgment that may hinder us in some way. Can you name 2 or 3 attitudes or standards you learned as a child that you now consider unhealthy? What are the leftovers from childhood that continue to plague you, even as you strive to eradicate them?

Today, ask Jesus to “take the wooden beam from your eye” so that you may have more compassion and understanding with yourself when you automatically see the “splinter” in your neighbor’s eye. The gift is: when we realize that we are judging, we have the opportunity to step back and release our judgment! After all: who are we to judge? We don’t appreciate it when other people judge us without knowing the whole story. I doubt that anyone appreciates being judged.

Today I invite you to set judgment aside (as best you can). Strive to be mindful of your judgments. And when you realize that you are judging, simply “let it go.” Judgment is God’s work, not ours! Today, let “God be God!”