Holy Resurrection
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From Judgment to Compassion: Abba Dorotheos on Not Judging Others
5:29
What the video says
The video teaches that only God can judge because He alone knows the struggles and repentance of each person. Judging and despising others burdens our own souls and cooperates with the devil, while love covers a multitude of sins. The saints exemplify this by gently drawing sinners to repentance through long-suffering and compassion, not condemnation.
We must imitate the humility of the man who feared his own future sin and placed himself below his brother, recognizing that we too are weak. By focusing on our own faults and showing mercy, we cooperate with angels and grow in Christ's love.
Key moments
- Only God knows all judgments; we cannot judge others because we do not see their struggles or repentance.
- God may show mercy to a sinner whose fall is nearly justified due to unseen anguish, while our condemnation loses our own soul.
- Despising a sinner—turning away in disgust—is worse than judgment and far more destructive.
- A godly person, seeing a brother sin, says 'Woe is me, I will sin tomorrow' and places himself below the sinner, fearing his own weakness.
- We often condemn and despise without distinction, spreading gossip that harms others and cooperates with the devil.
- Harming a soul cooperates with demons; benefiting a soul cooperates with holy angels.
- Love covers a multitude of sins; the saints do not hate sinners but suffer with them, admonish and heal them gently.
- Like fishermen or a mother, the saints draw sinners to correction through long-suffering and love, not disgust.
The post presents a passage from Abba Dorotheos of Gaza (Instructions VI, v. 8–11) on the spiritual danger of judging one’s neighbor. The elder teaches that only God can judge, because He alone sees the hidden struggles, anguish, and repentance of each person. To judge or despise a brother is to burden one’s own soul and to cooperate with the devil; by contrast, love covers a multitude of sins and aligns us with the angels.
The saints model this truth: they do not hate sinners but suffer with them, admonishing and healing gently, like a mother or a fisherman drawing souls to repentance through long‑suffering and compassion. A godly person, seeing another’s fall, says, “Woe is me, I will sin tomorrow,” placing himself below the sinner out of fear for his own weakness.
The text warns that indiscriminate condemnation and gossip destroy souls and spread harm. The post also includes a brief appeal for monthly or one‑time donations to support the building of a parish church, framing the offering as a quiet work of grace.
Main points
- Only God knows the full context of a person’s life; human judgment is blind to unseen struggles and repentance.
- Judging or despising a neighbor cooperates with demonic forces and endangers one’s own salvation.
- True humility fears one’s own weakness more than another’s sin, placing oneself below the fallen brother.
- The saints correct sinners through patient love and compassion, not condemnation or disgust.
- Love covers sins; harming a soul serves the devil, while benefiting a soul serves the angels.