How can we not judge someone who is clearly committing a sin?

Answer of St. Anastasios of Sinai:

1. By bearing in mind the Lord saying, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned" (Lk 6: 37), and also the Apostle teaching, "The one who is standing should take care of a fall" (1 Cor 10: 12) … "Keep an eye on yourself, lest you also be put to the test" (Gal 6: 1) … "No human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within" (1 Cor 2: 11). For frequently many who sinned in the sight of others, afterwards secretly have confessed to God, pleased him and won his pardon, and they received the Holy Spirit; then those who are thought sinners by us are really just before God. We were witnesses of their sin, but we were not aware of the good works that they had performed secretly.

2. Such a person was that flute-player in Egypt, Philemon. In his regard a divine voice revealed to Saint Makarios in the desert, "You have not yet reached the level of Philemon the Flute-player in such-and-such a city." So, setting off, holy father Makarios found him playing the flute at a wedding and dancing around. Taking him aside privately he questioned him, wanting to find out about his achievements. But he kept on saying that he was a profligate and a sinner, who only recently had passed over from a robber's life to the flute-players' troupe. "However," he said, "I am aware that I did do one good work while I was a robber-chieftain. I found a woman fleeing from her creditors after having sold her own children for fifty nomismata; I took her into my cave and gave her fifty nomismata, without touching her in any sort of carnal sin." Thus, it was in recompense for this action done on behalf of the woman and her children that he was raised to the level and place of holy father Makarios in God's sight.

3. It is really necessary never to pass judgement, even when we see a sin with our own eyes; after the sinner has moved just ten steps away from our sight, we do not know what he may have done in relation with God, and what God may have done in relation with him. When dawn broke on a certain Thursday Judas the traitor was in the company of Christ and his disciples, while the thief was in that of evil-doers and murderers; yet as Friday succeeded, Judas had departed into the exterior darkness, while the thief had found his home in Paradise with Christ. Because of these sudden changes it is good not to judge anyone until God has passed judgement on that person. For the father has given all judgement to Christ (Jn 5: 22), so that someone who judges his neighbour has snatched away Christ’s dignity as a judge, and such a person is an Anti-Christ.

4. On other occasions there are many who receive pardon for their sins through varied trials, in a way that we do not know. Again, others are purified through physical illness and chronic sickness: for the Lord has chastised me with his chastisement, but He has not handed me over to death (Ps 117: 18). Some of us being judged by the Lord are chastised in this life, so that we may not be condemned with the world in the next. This is what Paul turned upon the incestuous fornicator in Corinth when he said, "Let such a one be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that the spirit may be saved in the day of judgement" (1 Cor 5: 5). Thus, even [for] those possessed by demons, if they bear it with gratitude, this chastisement becomes for their good.

5. Again, there are some who through others - either some saintly persons or their own parents - gain the forgiveness of their sins: the Lord carries out the wishes of those who fear him (Ps 144: 19). Also, some people find mercy even while in the midst of some mortal illness, as did Hezekiah who pleaded tearfully with God (4 Kings 20: 5). While others, having made some secret pact and understanding between themselves and God, departed this life a few days later and were saved. Wherever one has reached, whether a good state or an evil one, from there that person departs. That is why God said through Ezekiel the prophet: "Although someone has committed all sorts of injustice, if such a one then converts and does what is just, there will be no memory of his crimes; for where I find someone, there will I judge that person." But divine Scripture bears witness that in many cases some receive pardon for their sins through the prayers of holy men: for even Aaron, after making the calf for Israel at Horeb, was forgiven through the prayers of Moses, and similarly the sister of Moses, Miriam, was purified of her leprosy because of the prayers of Moses; and similarly Nebuchadnezzar was judged worthy of God's kindness because of the prayers of the prophet Daniel.

6. However, if one should also call to mind one of the saintly men of our own generation, there is no cause to be ashamed. Leontios, who became bishop of Neapolis, used to tell our fathers that while living in one of the monasteries in the East, he had as superior a saintly man, a genuine servant of God, who happened to be an acquaintance of the Emperor Maurice. Now when that same Emperor Maurice incurred through diabolical intervention that infamous defeat and betrayed his army to the barbarians, he sent for that holy man once he had realized what he had done and come to contrition, and he implored him very earnestly to request from God that for his sake the soul of Maurice should be saved, as a favour to the holy man, and be pardoned for what he had done.

7. So when this same emperor came to die, the monk requested God to disclose to him if indeed He had accepted his prayer and forgiven Emperor Maurice his sin. And indeed, one night the servant of God goes into ecstasy; he sees a place of extraordinary brightness and glory, like some immensely great temple; within it, in the sanctuary, was seated the God and Emperor, Jesus, and the seven veils set in order, one inside the other, hid him from being seen. Then the monk, standing in front of the seventh veil, heard the voice of Christ the Emperor, with a voice like thunder ordering and summoning by name those who had been Emperors of the Romans [= Byzantines]; the voice gave permission and said, "Let the Emperor Constantine enter", and with that utterance he saw the saintly and glorious Constantine enter, who along with Saint Helena was carrying the revered and life-giving cross. Then one after the other he heard the heavenly Ruler ordering each pious emperor by name to enter into his presence, just as each made his entry. Now when the Emperor Tiberios entered in, the monk heard Christ the Ruler saying in a reluctant tone, as if under duress from a supplicant, "Well, then, let the Emperor Maurice enter because of the request from the monk." Maurice came up to go in, along with his wife and children. And on seeing the monk standing before the imperial doors he says to his wife and children, "Fall at the feet of this revered father; it is because of him that the sole good and kindly Ruler has opened up for us." All these things, with the Lord for our witness, we are setting forth without any deception in order to instruct young judges not to condemn anyone without investigation and haphazardly.

8. I have recounted these things not idly nor for verbosity's sake but because I am aware that the tongue of most people is sharper than a two-edged sword (Heb 4: 12), quick to condemn the faults of others. Even though we may see a thousand good things in a person, but happen to see some petty failing (since nobody is sinless, except for God alone [Mt 10: 18; Lk 18: 19]) we leave to one side and neglect the person's thousand good qualities and achievements, and make remarks only about that minor failing, denigrating the person.

9. It is also possible by means of an open declaration to gain not only the remission of sins but also rewards: as the Lord said, "Whoever declares himself on my behalf before others, I will declare myself on his behalf before my father in heaven" (Mt 10: 32). Everyone should realize this: whoever confesses the Christ despite the menace of fear and threats, to that person all sins that may have been committed in life will be forgiven in that hour. I shall confirm this dictum with a surprising story.

10. In the years of the Emperor Maurice there was in Constantinople a most wicked and powerful magician called Mesites. This man began to employ under the guise of his notarios a young servant, who was not aware that this Mesites was a magician. As the latter wanted to lead astray this lad, who was a Christian, and to attach him as well to the devil, he took him off one day in the evening; and mounting their horses they went out of the City to a deserted and uninhabited place, a meeting of three ways.

11. And eventually at a late hour they reached a certain place and saw a castle with iron gates. When Mesites had knocked they both entered, Mesites and the Christian lad. And they find an enormous temple, and brilliant golden stands and lights and lamps and couches, with a number of servants sitting to right and left, all of them Ethiopians; there was also one person of enormous size, who was himself also an Ethiopian, seated on a high throne with the appearance of a king. He welcomed and warmly embraced Mesites, and commanded a throne to be placed for him near himself, and had him seated, saying "Welcome, Sir Mesites, our genuine friend and servant!"

12. After Mesites was seated, as the lad was standing behind his throne, the one who was enthroned on high as king of the demons, having looked at the lad, says to Mesites, "Why have you brought this lad here?" Mesites in answer says, "Lord, this one is your slave, along with me." Then the king seated on high says to the lad, "Tell me, youngster, are you my slave?" The lad replied and said, "I am the slave of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." And with that utterance, down fell at once the one on the throne, down fell all the others who were seated, down fell the lights; the place was swallowed up, the castle was swallowed up, they all were swallowed up, and so too Mesites was swallowed up with them; the lad found himself alone and there too were the horses in their place. He hurriedly mounted on his horse and returned to the City [= Constantinople]. When he was asked by some people, "Where is Mesites?" he replied saying, "That man has gone off into the outer darkness and the unquenchable fire" (Mt 8: 12; Mk 9: 43), giving an account of all that had happened.

13. Some time later this same lad was staying with a certain patrician, a servant of Christ and a virtuous man, generous with the poor. One evening both of them, the patrician and the lad, come at an appropriate time to pray before the honoured and most revered ikon of Our Lord Jesus Christ. And while the lad was standing to the left of the patrician the ikon of the Master turned away and directed its gaze towards the lad. Then when the patrician noticed what had happened, he moved the lad to a place on his right, and once again the ikon turned away and directed its gaze to the lad. Then the patrician threw himself prostrate on the ground, weeping and supplicating and declaring his faith and saying, "My Lord, Jesus Christ, why do you turn your face away from me, your servant? You know, Master, that to the best of my ability I have not turned my face away from anyone who asked for alms, and why do you, Master, turn away from your unworthy servant?" After he had supplicated like this and confessed his faith for a long time, a voice comes forth from the ikon of the Master saying, "I am pleased with you, because from what I have given you, you have made an offering to me. But to this one I am under an obligation because, though he found himself in a mighty panic, he did not deny me, but made confession of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

14. However, there is another method for salvation, which can be brought to a successful conclusion much more easily than the others: I mean that which has been mentioned above, not to pass judgement and not to guard rancour. There is nothing that God hates as much as an embittered person. Even though we may have thousands of achievements to our credit, if we harbour bitterness, it is pointless and futile for us to give a detailed account of them. And listen, if you like, to an extraordinary story of something that happened in our own days - Christ is our witness and there are still eye-witnesses of it alive - something most helpful and deserving to be remembered.

15. There was a man who belonged to those who wear the monastic habit; he lived his life with utter negligence and laziness, then fell ill with a sickness that was mortal. When he came to his last breath, he showed no fear of death but prayed to God with great thankfulness and eagerness and so departed from his body. Now one of those who were in attendance on him, one of the most God-favoured of the fathers, asked him saying, "Brother So-and-so, believe me, as we watched you, we thought that you had lived out your life with utter negligence and laziness; how is that you have such lack of worry and such thankfulness in the face of such a fearful and terrifying hour, that of departure from life, one that even the saints hold in dread?"

16. In response then to these words the brother said, "Truly, reverend fathers, it is a fact that I lived out my life in utter negligence and laziness. And the angels of God brought to me the hand-written list of my sins in this hour, reading out to me all the sins that I had done since I made my monastic renunciation, and they said to me, 'Do you acknowledge these?' 'Yes, they are truly mine and I acknowledge them, but nevertheless, my lords, ever since my monastic renunciation I have never passed judgement on anyone nor borne a grudge. Therefore, I request that in my case the words of Christ should be respected: for He said, 'Do not judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned' (Mt 7: 1; and Mt 6: 12, 14-15). And as he said this to the angels, they tore up at once the hand-written list of my sins, and behold I am leaving to join Christ with complete joy and no anxiety." And once the brother had explained these things to the fathers, he immediately gave up the spirit, giving great assistance and edification to his listeners so that they would not judge anyone nor bear grudges; he gained the fruit of such a great grace by putting into practice these virtues. May we also be worthy of such a grace and kindness from the Lord and God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power, now and always and for ages upon ages, amen.

Source: Anastasios of Sinai, Questions and Answers, trans. Joseph A. Munitiz, Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2011, pp. 66-73.