The first reading tells us the reason for the final fragmentation and destruction of the glorious kingdom of Israel which King David and his son, Solomon, built about 200 years before. The people of Israel had lived in good times and as long as Yahweh was the centre-point of their lives, they had enough wisdom to live happily amidst their prosperity. However, it did not take long for Israel to recognize the power of wealth, treachery and compromises. These gradually became their gods, replacing Yahweh and influencing all areas of their lives. They thus became enslaved and easily fell prey to the neighbouring nations.

When in the Gospel, Jesus admonished His hearers, "Do not judge" He was also expressing His fear for them. Like the Israelites before them, they also had made other gods for themselves and these had become so entrenched in their hearts and minds that they had blinkers before their eyes - shutting out a great deal from sight.

We can and do find ourselves in a similar state of vulnerability and that is why Jesus says, "Do not judge". We should use our judgement to distinguish good from evil but not to condemn our neighbour.