Right Judgment

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

RIGHT JUDGMENT

John 7:20-24

20 "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?" 21 Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." 
NIV

Many people make an immediate judgment of a someone they meet for the first time based on that persons appearance, at least if we are honest with ourselves we may do that as well. We look at someone and form some opinion of that person not actually ever engaging in a meaningful conversation to find out anything about them. Jesus was telling those people they were guilty of making a judgment against him based on what he was doing they judged him, rather than on who he was. It might be that we too could judge people based on what they are doing rather than on who they are. There are times we simply do not know the motives or reason someone does something, even if that something seems to break one of those denominational rules and regulations some people use as their basis for a Christian life. Some believers have more freedom in Christ then others do. Some believers prefer to live a far closer adherence to the denominational rules then other do. Each of those type people could judge the other if they are not careful based on their appearance, on they actions, on their lifestyle as it were, without actually knowing them. The right judgment is to do that which God directs us to do, love each other. If we love each other we will never judge each other no matter which type of beliefs we have as long as we are all believers in Christ. Some denominations have different ways about them, but we should not judge on their appearance of Christianity, but we should make a right judgment based on the fact there are believers. God has said through the apostle Paul, that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus Christ is Lord we will be saved. It is the simply, that is the right judgment. Let us not judge people on appearance, but on the condition of their heart and we cannot do that unless we engage them in friendship.