Conclusions
Sometimes we jump to conclusions, don’t we? When something appears a certain way to us it becomes easy to believe that all the facts are in and the whole picture is before us. Yet, do we really have the whole picture? Contrary to the views of many in our
society, not all “judging” is condemned in the Bible; however, unrighteous judgment is (but that’s a discussion for another article).
The problem of jumping to conclusions stems from judging things by the way they appear to be instead of coming to the correct conclusion based on the evidence available. For example, the story is often told of Dr. Glenn Olds (a former President of Kent State University) who, in 1941, during his junior year in college, recalled the sight of Mt. Rushmore as he hitchhiked cross-country. From 10 miles away, he easily made out presidents Washington and Lincoln, but in the middle was a figure that looked a lot like
Adolf Hitler. Yet, once he got closer he realized that what looked like hair combed over a forehead was really cable wires. What looked like a mustache was really scaffolding. This made an impression on him and he noted in his journal, “What was Adolf Hitler at
10 miles away was Thomas Jefferson under construction.”
Remember this, friends: in John 7:24 Jesus does not say “Do not judge” (period). He says, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous
judgment.” See the difference?