Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment –John 7:24/ESV

“Jesus didn’t care who he hurt.”

It was a comment that came out in a Bible class discussion, flat and non-empathetic.

I had never heard this before that time. Not long after that, someone else made the same statement in another class. I then realized that I was in a season and place that felt foreign to me.

The words stung.

I am not sure that “Jesus didn’t care who he hurt” is a completely whole, holy and healthy statement.

The Jesus I read about cares for all the hurting whether the wounds are self-inflicted or not. Jesus is there to heal and restore.

I know he used a whip to get the moneychangers out of the Temple courts. But I am not sure he hurt anyone…He was hurt by the fact that the Temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations, not a place where people could upsell an animal sacrifice.

I also believe he cared for the religious leaders and “did not to hurt” them beyond the point where they would say no completely to the Gospel.

Scripture does not record what Jesus thought, but I believe it is safe to assume Christ spoke what he was thinking. Yet, he didn’t mount a cause against legalism. He just identified the unnatural fears being perpetrated on those who had been oppressed by the devil and he, Christ, wanted to set God’s beloved creation free.

Jesus didn’t take his precious time on the mountains to mount a revolt against the Jewish leaders, neither did he mount a revolt against the government. He simply used his free time to heal and teach others of God’s will and Kingdom.

I think more often today of Christ’s pleas for His enemies, “Forgive them Father, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

How much we need good judgment today with the hurt going on in the world. Also, how we need to arm ourselves with Christ’s love as we serve and speak up for the innocent, and to prepare in the event we might get caught in crossfire though it have nothing to do with us personally.

Our God indeed cares for the hurting, and I believe he cares that I too care in the same way. And when I hurt, He hurts, and others hurt with me, and I with them.

I believe this is the healthy wholeness Christ wants from his Bride, from His Body, from His Church.

He hurt in the ultimate way, so I wouldn’t have to. He didn’t judge by appearances, but by the content of people’s hearts and the actions that followed, no matter how imperfect. He took on judmentalism so that I might learn and practice good judgment, something that He did perfectly.

Amazing!