In this series we have discovered that our Heavenly Daddy is always on the side of the rejected, the underprivileged, and the hurt. These are loved beyond bounds by the Almighty. Woe to those who turn their back on them or criticize them. We are here to be a blessing to them, not to judge them; to love them, not to ignore them!

“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt 7:2, NIV)

Still it’s deeply ingrained in us to judge indiscrimately. Too often we think we have all the facts, and although we may say that we are just watching, we are truly condemning people we hardly know when we don’t truly know what is going on.

Let me demonstrate this to you.

You are driving down a busy highway at night. The traffic is dense and you feel quite tired, as work has been unusually hectic that day. All of a sudden you notice that your car is listing to one side. Oh no! You have a flat tire! Grrrrr.

You stop your car, get out and get the spare. After half an hour of dismounting your flat tire and putting the new one on, you are back in the driver’s seat.

“All that waste of time! I hope my friends are still waiting for me!” But now that you’re back on the road, your thoughts shift to how much fun you will have this weekend. You deserve that time off and you plan to enjoy life to the fullest. Your lips curl up into a smile.

Suddenly, you notice a huge dark truck tailgating you! The first thought to come to your mind is “Idiot!” You accelerate, but to your horror, the menacing truck matches your speed.

You remember reading in the paper that day that there is a mad killer somewhere on that highway, renowned for killing people with a kitchen knife. What if that person was in the truck behind you?

You slow down, hoping that it is just a coincidence that the truck is keeping up with you. Hopefully that truck will pass you and leave you alone.

It doesn’t. Instead it slows down and begins flashing his lights at you, and then you see him thrust his arm out the window and gesture towards you.

“What does he want?” you wonder aloud. You are quite nervous now, for nothing like this has ever happened to you before.

A new idea comes to mind. Cops are often on this highway. If you start driving way over the limit, you will be stopped and saved from that maniac. You speed up until your speedometer hits 150 kms an hour. Again, the dark truck is matching your speed.

You are tired of this game, and you push your accelerator completely on the floor. You had no idea that your vehicle could drive 240 kms an hour! You look at your visor, but that truck is still matching your speed. He is unshakable!

After half an hour of this high speed chase, with no cops anywhere on the horizon, you realize that your exit is just 5 kms away. You decide to keep on racing, and at the very last moment to turn into the exit. You hope the truck has no time to follow you. It’s a good plan. The only plan that hopefully will deliver you from your aggressor.

You succeed in taking the exit, and you are already rejoicing that you finally shook off that truck, when you notice those same lights still following you. Your blood turns icy. “What now?” Your gas tank is almost empty, and there is nowhere to go except your final destination, the mansion where your friends are lodging. Hopefully John has his shotgun with him. He generally never leaves it behind, as hunting is always his main motivation.

But no matter where you turn, the truck continues to tail you. Finally you arrive at the mansion, and lucky for you, John is waiting for you. You jump out the car and shout “Get your shotgun!”

John takes one look at the truck behind you. He disappears into the house and reappears with his gun. Hope is finally at sight!

John points his gun at the driver of that dark, menacing truck, and orders him out. The poor lad comes out of his vehicle shaking.

Now what would you be thinking about this young man at this time? Would you welcome him with open arms? Or would your inclination be to strangle him?

The shaking lad then utters the following words. “It’s not me! It’s not me! It’s him!”

Confused you and John exchange glances. “Who?”

“There’s a man in the back of your vehicle. I saw him slip into your car while you were changing your tire. He had a kitchen knife in his right hand. I followed you to warn you about him!”

Could he be telling the truth? Slowly all three of you approach your vehicle. John opens the back door very slowly, shotgun on the ready. Sure enough, a man is crouching behind your seat, a kitchen knife in his hand.

Imagine how you feel now when you realize that the one you accused is the one who had nothing but the purest intentions on your behalf. He wanted to save you from certain death. He is not the one who deserves judgment. He is your hero, your savior!

Judging after all, often leads to the wrong conclusion.

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Worthy are the Unworthy” devotional series, please click here.)