“‘Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.’” (v. 24)

You live in a posturing world.

Everyone around you is determined to signal their priorities through appearances. Consider all the political signs, the email-signature pronouns, and the ever-changing flags and symbols that surround you. It’s pervasive. Everyone wants you to know what they believe—and they want to know what businesses, organizations, and governments believe—based on what’s on the surface.

Here’s the problem:

Outward appearances aren’t the end-all. You can pose with all the signs of justice and equality and love (according to the world), but none of that is truly revelatory. In fact, you can have all of that on the surface, yet still be selfish and lustful and corrupt in your heart.

Jesus’ point: Don’t judge by those appearances. This is the prophetic side of “You can’t judge a book by its cover”—because a dressed-up cover can obscure an unrepentant, judgmental heart! Jesus speaks through all the posturing to remind us: a heart that is obedient to Him, submitted in belief, and filled with His Spirit is the only one that passes judgment—regardless of how religiously (or culturally) right it appears!

Judgment is real. It’s just not as the world expects—or aims for.

— Tyler