Righteous Judgment – Part 2
In John 7:24, Jesus rejected the popular notion that one may judge based upon perception. In the context, Jesus was teaching in the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles (2). Many were speaking about Jesus at the feast, but quietly (11-13). They were saying “He deceives the people” (12). They accused Him of having a demon (20). Jesus rejected their reasoning by pointing out that the same critics formed hypocritical judgments about His healing on the Sabbath (22, 23). They drew the wrong conclusions about Jesus because their “evidence” was based solely on appearances, not truth. Jesus rebuked them, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
Christians may succumb to the same bad attitudes. When we do, we become objects of Jesus’ rebuke. It is easy for us to listen to gossip about others, but we cannot know another person’s heart unless we talk to them and listen to their side of the story. The Bible gives us several principles to ensure that our Christian relationships remain healthy. These are love, patience, long suffering, and brotherly kindness. Applying these teachings in our life will go a long way toward not judging according to appearance.
- How do we use love to not judge according to appearance?
- How do we use patience to not judge according to appearance?
- How do we use long suffering to not judge according to appearance?
- How do we use brotherly kindness to not judge according to appearance?
Are there any additional items that must be respected after all of these have been applied? Jesus taught us to follow these principles in our personal Christian relationships. Our problem is that we fail to observe these teachings, and this causes great hurt and pain among our brethren unnecessarily.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley