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