By Fr. Ananias Koustenis
Someone who does something bad or even many bad things should not be thrown away. They also have a good side and in their life they have done both good and noble deeds. This is why we should not look at things as if they are black and white, my brethren. This is wrong.
We cannot judge anyone from one, two or even three incidents in their life, but this can only be done by taking into account the entirety of their life and especially their repentance.
If we judged the Apostle Peter by the moment he took out his knife and cut off the ear, we would call him a murderer. Yet the Apostle Peter is the first and foremost.
It is easy for us humans to judge and condemn. Let us beware of this, because it is a difficult matter we must deal with, and at the same time it so easily takes away such a large amount of divine grace that it leaves our souls desolate of divine grace.
Yet we say: "Since I keep the fasts, since I don't steal, since I have not wronged anyone, since this and since that, why should I not feel a little better?" Because when you judge and condemn you take the seat of Christ the Judge, and this is something only the antichrist does. This is exactly why we cannot condemn anyone conclusively before the coming of the Lord.
From the book Λόγοι γʼ. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.We cannot judge anyone from one, two or even three incidents in their life, but this can only be done by taking into account the entirety of their life and especially their repentance.
If we judged the Apostle Peter by the moment he took out his knife and cut off the ear, we would call him a murderer. Yet the Apostle Peter is the first and foremost.
It is easy for us humans to judge and condemn. Let us beware of this, because it is a difficult matter we must deal with, and at the same time it so easily takes away such a large amount of divine grace that it leaves our souls desolate of divine grace.
Yet we say: "Since I keep the fasts, since I don't steal, since I have not wronged anyone, since this and since that, why should I not feel a little better?" Because when you judge and condemn you take the seat of Christ the Judge, and this is something only the antichrist does. This is exactly why we cannot condemn anyone conclusively before the coming of the Lord.