Do Not Judge by Appearances

About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. The Jews were astonished at it, saying, ‘How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?’ Then Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him. ‘Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law.

Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?’ The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?’ Jesus answered them, ‘I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the sabbath? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement.’ Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’ Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?’ The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. Jesus then said, ‘I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’ The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, “You will search for me, and you will not find me” and “Where I am, you cannot come”?’ John 7:14-36

I had facetime with my grandchildren after their first day of school. They were so excited and happy about getting through the first day in a new school. I know they were terribly worried in the days before. They want to make new friends and do not want to be judged by who they are, what they look like and whether they have the right accessories and clothing. Adults can remember our own huge anxieties of wanting to be included and not judged. Jesus said loud and clear that we shouldn't judge by appearances. Yet we humans judge, and we are regularly hurt and broken by others' judgement. I pray we can all set judgment aside and open our hearts to following the Jesus way.

Gracious Creator, we are made in your image

many colors and a diverse expression of You

your creation is an explosion of great beauty

and has a place for every glorious living being.

Too often we judge ourselves as less than

and we turn and cruelly judge one another

our hurt and pain is visible and becomes trauma

yet you have compassion on all of us here.

Help us Lord, to set aside all judgement

so that we can see clearly one another's' heart

let your love and compassion flow through us

so that we might see your heart in everyone here. Amen.