Mere Appearances

"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgement." John 7:24

Jesus is speaking here. He has just dealt with the issue of Sabbath Laws again because He is accused of healing on the Sabbath. He points out that they circumcise a child on the Sabbath so why can't He heal the whole man? Good point, huh? Often in our legalism our rules and laws are uneven. We tend to interpret the rules, customs and laws to suit the situation. We often have ulterior motives and very strong preferences that skew our application of principles. So, Jesus gives us a clue as to why we do this. We do it because we base our judgements on mere appearances. Without the whole picture or limited information we jump (uhh... Leap to conclusions about anyone or anything to suit our purposes or to validate our preconceived notions). No wonder there is so much drama, and so many misunderstandings, and issues between us.

I have found that things are often not as they first appear. Oh, how often I can get myself all worked up over things that are really speculative at best and even unsubstantiated. In the process, things get said that are baseless, and people get hurt. We must find a way to hear each other, trust each other and forgive if necessary. We are warned about judging in general and here we are warned to not jump to conclusions, either. Not easy, especially when our feelings; pride, weaknesses, and faults can be exposed. I think the solution is to make far fewer definitive assessments and to not think the worst about anything or anyone very often, if at all.

We humans are more fragile and bigger "mess-ups" than we would like to admit. So be extremely careful and far more sensitive as you navigate the troubled waters of relationships and the all too pervasive 'loose talk' about anyone or anything. Admit your missteps, miscues and misinterpretations, honestly and quickly. Forgive easily, move on, and face what you really know for sure and not what appears to be. Still learning the hard way on this one.

Pastor Fred

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