The Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son also warns us against being the Prodigal’s older brother who is self-righteous and judgmental. We are to imitate the love of the Father in dealing with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“One day Abba Isaac went to a monastery. He saw a brother committing a sin and condemned him. When he returned to the desert, an angel of the Lord came and stood in front of the door of his cell, and said: ‘I will not let you enter.’ But he persisted saying: ‘What is the matter?’ The angel replied: ‘God has sent me to you to ask you where you want to throw the guilty brother whom you have condemned.’ Immediately, he repented and said: ‘ I have sinned; forgive me.’ Then the angel said: ‘Get up, God has forgiven you. But from now on, be careful not to judge someone before God has done so.’ “ (Issac the Theban in In the Heat of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, pg. 106-107)
