The Fourth Saturday of Lent

“Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?”

Sometimes we judge people even before we meet them because of gossip and second-hand knowledge. These opinions can color how we treat others and even cause us to mistreat them. This is one of the reasons why Jesus warns us against judging others. God is the only one who should judge another person's character. Unlike us, He sees everything and knows the context we don't have. He also knows the hearts of others whereas we only know what we can see and make assumptions based off of incomplete knowledge. This is why it is so important to be open to changing our opinions about other people, especially those we have the most difficulty liking or understanding.

Do we listen to or spread gossip about others? Do we prejudge people? How can we cultivate hearts that are not prejudiced, but rather loving and understanding?

O Lord, keep us from condemning others and instead find ways to love all your children.

Amen.