Devotionals by Dr. M. Craig Barnes
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. --
The Bible repeatedly cautions us about judging. That's not because it is wrong to make judgments, but because we are not very good at it. We have a hard time seeing beneath the surface, and since things are seldom what they appear to be, our judgments are usually mistaken. This is particularly true when it comes to judging people. Those whose lives look pretty good are often masking a private turmoil, and those who look completely chaotic are often living out of an inner core that is actually quite healthy and strong.
No one is harder to judge by appearances than Jesus Christ. When he first appeared, the Pharisees and religious leaders, whose job it was to watch for the Messiah, were certain that Jesus couldn't possibly be their man. Having come from Nazareth, he was too familiar, and we never think salvation can come from someone we know. Also he broke too many Sabbath laws, and we always think salvation will come in prescribed ways.
How Jesus will appear in your life, where he will lead you, and what he will do to draw you closer to his Father along the way, will all come as a surprise. But the Messiah is the Messiah. So if you are going to be able to embrace his salvation, you'll need to learn how to peer beneath the surface of both the unappreciated familiar and the unwanted interruption. Either of them can become a means of grace. But you'll never see that until you stop using your expectations to judge Jesus.
-- Craig Barnes