Passing Judgement
June 1
"It was like the scene from Home Alone, when the neighbors have tagged the old man as a lunatic and killer and all the kids are afraid of him," my husband expounded as he set the stage for the story. Years ago we lived on a large property in a city not far from here and when we sold it, we kept a partial of land, which contains a fenced in grassy area the dimensions of a tennis court. We never built the court, but neighborhood children have loved playing soccer and lacrosse on the acreage. Part of the deal we had with the present owners was that if they would mow the lot, their children could use the property. Those people have now put the home on the market and we realized our property has become very over grown and needed some sprucing up, so my husband donned his ragged work clothes, a mask to help with spring time allergies, a weed eater, clippers and a CHAIN SAW and went to work. We moved away nine years ago. The children whose parents bought the property from us have grown and there was a new brood of youngsters who came to play on the property just as my husband was driving away. He said he could only imagine the stories they went home to tell their parents about the scary old man with the chain saw in the neighborhood.
Had they been there when he arrived they may have run, but if they had allowed themselves to engage in conversation with him he would have spoken to them from the perspective of a godly wise school Head Master, teacher, coach and parent of five sons himself. In this affluent neighborhood, they most likely would have seen him as a yard man, far beneath them and missed out on a wonderful encounter.
How many precious relationships we have missed because we viewed someone incorrectly. We missed their worth in the eyes of Jesus...someone worth dying for.
Who have we passed by...either by passing judgement or possibly totally neglecting their existence?
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37
Shrek is another good example of possibly missing out on a good thing because of conjure up thoughts of what he might be.
Moses fits that bill too!
