Are We Too Judgmental?
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24
Is there anyone other than Jesus who has never sized up another person based on his or her appearance? I doubt it. “She’s so fat, she must not have any self-control over her eating habits or perhaps she eats from emotional pain”. “His ears stick out so far he looks like he’s ready to take off”, or, as folks used to say, “He looks like a taxicab with both doors open”. I never did understand that one, but then there’s a lot of things I don’t understand. “That outfit is so tacky that she obviously knows nothing about age-appropriate dress”. “How did he ever end up with her?” There are a million more criticisms of folks that people have said over time. Why are people so critical of others’ appearance? I think it is like criticisms in general: people criticize to make them feel better about themselves. However, it actually shows how little and petty the criticizers are.
Some folks base a person’s worth on their appearance. I have used this example before, but a lady told me that she and her husband went into a car dealership wearing jeans, t-shirts, etc. and received very little attention from the salespeople. They went back the next day dressed in their “Sunday best”, and the salespeople were bending over backwards to accommodate them. The first time they were judged as folks who probably couldn’t afford a new car while the next day, they were seen as potential customers. There is something to be said about looking your best depending on where you are going and what you plan to do, for instance, a job interview. When I was younger, people dressed up to go to church, not to show off their attire, but because it was a show of respect for God’s house and the worship of Him. Today, folks have made church attendance a much more casual event as far as their choice of attire. Customs and habits change over the years. The important thing is that they show up for church. I am glad that Jesus doesn’t judge us on our appearance. No one has a perfect body, perfect facial features, and perfect hair. The ones who come close likely have gone to a lot of trouble to achieve their “look”. We are not all born “supermodels” or “hunks”, but Jesus doesn’t care about that. He cares about our hearts.
Many of the Jews judged Jesus by His appearance. I imagine they expected the Messiah to be dashingly handsome, a strong, conquering hero who would come to rescue them from the Romans like the good looking Royal Canadian Mountie rescues the damsel in distress from the dastardly curly-mustached villain who had tied her to a train track. Had the Jews diligently studied prophecy, they would have known that, as Isaiah described, the Messiah would have no form or comeliness, that is, no handsome physique or attractiveness (Isaiah 53:2) that would make the men admire Him and the women swoon. In other words, He would not attract people by His looks. However, that is O. K., because He attracts by His sacrificial love.
It will be a different story when He returns to earth to rid the world of evil and sin and set up His kingdom over which He will rule. At that time, no one will be concerned with His lack of good looks. Those who have rejected Him and His gospel of salvation will fear Him. Revelation 19:11-16 describes Jesus when He returns as riding a white horse, and He will be called “Faithful and True’. He will come in righteousness to judge and make war. His eyes will be as a flame of fire, and He will be wearing many crowns upon His head. He will have a new name that only He knows. His garment will be soaked in blood, and His name will be “The Word of God”. All of those who had given their lives to Him will be following Him also riding on white horses and clothed in pure white linen. Out of Jesus’ mouth will go a sharp sword with which He will smite and rule over the nations with the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Across His thigh will be written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Those who wanted a conquering Hero when He first came to earth will finally get their wish but not exactly in the way they expected. Even with all their special effects, Hollywood could never produce a Hero like Jesus when He comes again to right all the wrongs and bring eternal peace. Physical beauty is fleeting, but love is eternal. The moral of the story is: Don’t judge a book or anything else by its cover.