A Different Perspective

"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." – 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Sometimes, what appears to be rudeness, inconsideration, or even malice may actually be the result of pain we know nothing about. Stephen Covey shared a story about being in a subway car where all the adults were quietly reading newspapers. Suddenly, a man entered with three children who were rambunctious, loud, and disruptive. They pulled at people's newspapers and were feisty with one another. The adults became increasingly annoyed as the father seemed to do nothing about it.

Finally, someone tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "I wonder if you could control your children. They're obviously bothering the rest of the passengers."

The man looked up as if coming out of a stupor and said, "We just left a hospital where their mother and my wife just passed away. I don't know how to handle it, and I guess my kids don't know how to handle it either."

The person who had complained immediately felt sick to his stomach. "Had I known," he thought, "I would've been more patient." ¹

How often do we judge others without knowing their full story? Jesus calls us to be merciful, to extend compassion to others regardless of how they appear to us. He wants us to move beyond snap judgments to true understanding.

Jesus taught this principle throughout His ministry. In Matthew 7:1-2, He says, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." Jesus isn't saying we shouldn't discern right from wrong, but rather that we should be careful about condemning others when we don't know all the circumstances.

This doesn't mean we shouldn't have convictions about truth, justice, and moral principles. There's a difference between being judgmental and exercising judgment. God has given us the capacity to discern between right and wrong. Jesus says in John 7:24, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." He's asking us to see beyond the surface.

Remember the woman caught in adultery in John 8? The religious leaders were ready to stone her according to the law. They were technically right about what the law required, but Jesus revealed their hypocrisy. He didn't deny her sin, but He showed mercy by saying, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." One by one, her accusers left. Jesus then said, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." He perfectly balanced mercy with truth.

First Thessalonians 5:14 reminds us, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." Notice that last part: "be patient with all." Not just with those who deserve it or those we understand, but with everyone. Different people need different responses from us - some need warning, others need comfort, others need support - but everyone needs our patience.

Proverbs 19:11 tells us, "The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression." There's wisdom in being slow to anger, in giving people the benefit of the doubt. When we practice mercy, we reflect the heart of God, who has been infinitely patient with each of us.

Reflection Question: When have you made a judgment about someone only to later learn circumstances that changed your perspective? How might remembering this help you be more merciful in the future?

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I've been quick to judge and slow to understand. Help me to remember that behind every difficult interaction may be a story I know nothing about. Give me Your eyes to see beyond behavior to the heart. Thank You for Your patience with me despite knowing all my flaws. Help me extend that same mercy to others. In Jesus' Name, amen.

¹ Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989), 30-31.

Check out the sermon "Compassion in Action":  https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/kpnmqdv/5-compassion-in-action