GOSPEL THOUGHTS
*Ordinary Season : Nineteenth Week: Wednesday*
*Gospel : Mt 18:21-19:1*
*First Reading : Ex 12: 1-12*
*Responsorial Psalm : 78: 56-62*
*The Process of Judgement : No Short Cuts*
*1) One Incident Is Not the Whole Person*
We often say:
“He did this, therefore he is like this.”
“She said that, therefore she has that intention.”
“He made one mistake, therefore he is irresponsible.”
“She failed once, therefore she cannot be trusted.”
But a person's action and a person's identity are not always the same thing.
A person may have had: a bad day, a moment of weakness, incomplete information, a misunderstanding, an emotional reaction, a genuine mistake.
One photograph cannot tell the whole story of a person's life.
Jesus therefore teaches us not to rush to a final judgement.
*2) Jesus Gives a Process, Not an Instant Verdict*
Notice the progression in Mt 18:15–17:
*First:* “Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”
*Second:* If he does not listen, take one or two others.
*Third:* If necessary, tell the community.
This is a beautiful three-stage process of discernment.
The movement is: Private conversation → Confirmation → Community discernment
It means: Don't make a public judgement about a private matter before making a private attempt at reconciliation.
How different this is from today's culture!
Today we may move quickly from: “I saw something” → “I concluded something” → “I told someone” → “Everyone knows.”
Jesus reverses the process: “I noticed something” → “I speak to the person” → “I listen” → “I seek confirmation” → “I involve others only when necessary.”
*3) Judgement Based on One or Few Instances Is Often Incomplete*
Consider a teacher. A student comes late three times.
The teacher may conclude: “He is careless.”
But perhaps the student is caring for a sick parent before coming to school.
The teacher saw the behaviour, but not the story behind the behaviour.
Or consider a parishioner who stops attending Mass.
We might say: “He has lost his faith.”
But perhaps nobody knows that the person is going through a serious family crisis.
We often judge the visible action without knowing the invisible struggle.
Therefore: What I see is only one piece of the puzzle.
A wise person asks: “What else do I need to know before I form my conclusion?”
*4) There Is a Difference Between Observation and Judgement*
This is an important distinction.
*Observation*: “He did not come to the meeting.”
*Judgement* : “He does not care about the parish.”
The first is a fact. The second is an interpretation.
*Observation*: “She spoke sharply to me.”
*Judgement*: “She hates me.”
Again, the first may be true; the second may not be.
*Observation*: “He made a mistake.”
*Judgement*: “He is useless.”
The mistake is an event. “Useless” is a label.
Jesus invites us to be careful about turning events into identities.
*5) The Gospel Says: Go and Speak, Don't Assume*
Jesus says: “Go and tell him his fault.”
He doesn't say: “Go and tell everybody about his fault.”
This is one of the strongest lessons for our age.
Before talking about someone, talk to someone.
Before forwarding a message, ask.
Before believing a rumour, verify.
Before condemning someone, listen.
Before posting publicly, investigate.
A simple rule: Don't discuss a person with others before you have spoken to the person concerned.
This applies especially to: families, religious communities, parish groups, schools, workplaces, WhatsApp groups, social media.
*6) The Longer the Process, the More Humble Our Judgement Becomes*
Why does Jesus give such a long process?
Because truth is sometimes complex.
The first version of a story may not be the complete version.
The second person may reveal something we did not know.
The third perspective may reveal another dimension.
Therefore: The more we listen, the less confident we may become in our first judgement.
This is not weakness. It is wisdom. A mature person can say: “I thought I understood the situation, but now I see that there was more to it.” That sentence requires humility.
*7) Jesus Is Not Against Correction; He Is Against Destructive Judgement*
We should not misunderstand the Gospel.
Jesus does not say: “Ignore wrongdoing.” He says: Deal with wrongdoing in the right way.
There is a difference between: Destructive judgement : “You are a bad person” and Loving correction
“What happened was wrong. Let us see how we can put it right.”
Christian correction is not about winning an argument.
It is about winning a brother or sister.
The purpose of the process is restoration.
*8) The Danger of Digital Judgement*
Mt 18:15–20 has a very powerful application in the digital world.
Today a person can be judged by:
a WhatsApp message,
a social-media post,
a photograph,
a short video,
a forwarded message,
a headline,
a screenshot.
But we rarely know the complete context.
A ten-second video may hide ten hours of reality.
A sentence may have been taken out of context.
A photograph may tell only one moment.
A forwarded message may contain only part of the truth.
Therefore: Don't let the speed of technology become the speed of your judgement.
Technology allows information to travel instantly.
Wisdom requires us to slow down.
*9) A Beautiful Principle: Slow Judgement, Quick Compassion*
This Gospel can give us a wonderful life principle:
Be slow to judge and quick to understand.
Be slow to say: “I know exactly what happened.”
Be quick to say: “Let me listen.”
Be slow to say: “This person will never change.”
Be quick to say: “Perhaps there is more to the story.”
Be slow to condemn. Be quick to reconcile.
*10) A Simple Image: The Court and the Clinic*
There are two ways of looking at another person's mistake.
*The Court* asks: “Who is guilty?”
*The Clinic* asks: “What is wrong, and how can we heal it?”
Jesus' process in Matthew 18 is closer to the clinic than the courtroom.
The purpose of correction is not simply to declare: “You are guilty.”
It is to say: “Something is wrong. Let us work toward healing.”
*Think about it*
*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*
*Fr Maxim DSouza*
*Jeppu Seminary*
*Mangalore*
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