Righteous Judgment

Righteous Judgment! Already, the Jewish leaders were seeking to kill Jesus, but what crime has He committed? Though not recorded in the book of John, the account of Jesus' healing on the Sabbath is recorded in other Gospels.

19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
(John 7:19-24, King James Version)

Already, the Jewish leaders were seeking to kill Jesus, but what crime has He committed? Though not recorded in the book of John, the account of Jesus' healing on the Sabbath is recorded in other Gospels. Jesus points to the absurdity of their accusations. They did circumcisions on the Sabbath, and yet they called the healing by Jesus on the Sabbath, sin.

Righteous Judgment! Is that not what we would all desire if we were to stand, accused, before a court of law? Yet, how often do we hear of corruption in the courts. Of course, this pales in comparison to the unrighteous Jews seeking to condemn Jesus, the sinless Son of God and Son of Man.

As Christians, we may not be in a legal position to condemn anyone, and yet we are guilty of condemnation of others every day! What right do we have to look at the deeds of others and bring condemnation upon them? Can we see into the hearts of others? Can we see into the future? Are the ones we condemn so wicked that they cannot receive pardon from Christ just as we have? What about our own sin? Did we not also stand condemned before God until we received the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives?

I am so saddened to see so many churches spending valuable time, in the name of educating their flock, to lash out against other professing Christians. But, it starts in the heart of one man, does it not? We have no control over others, but we all have an obligation, before Christ, to examine our own hearts and lives. Is it our calling to condemn others, or is it our calling to spread the news of the Gospel to all those around us?

God, perfect and pure, so loved the world, sinless though they be, that He sent His Son to bring righteousness to a people so unworthy as are we! Let us be careful that we use righteous judgment as we look upon those around us.

Let us also pray that God would be as gracious to those around us as He has been to us. What an amazing God we have!

Next: I Know God - John 7:25-30