Perspective

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I recently had a rather unpleasant experience. An individual close to me made some comments to me, about me, that were surprising and they were hurtful. They were also untrue but based on a distorted and misrepresented take on something that actually happened. Having had that recent experience and being a few days past it, I began to think about how a person views something that causes them to have a particular perspective. 

Always humans rationalize and form beliefs from a variety of input along with their inner resources, their emotional and spiritual wellness, or the lack of that wellness; the moral and cultural platform or base from which they evaluate.  

I have in the past used the diamond as a way to try to describe opinions, that there are facets of an issue depending on the point of view. So I looked up how diamonds are evaluated to see if it could apply to this subject.  Following are what I discovered regarding viewing a diamond:

The Crown View - looking from the top - a consumer’s perspective - the consumer looks for cut, color, clarity, and carat weight

The Profile View - looking from the side - the jewelers perspective - the jeweler looks for clarity, cut precision, and structural integrity

The Pavillion View - looking from the bottom - a gemologists perspective - the gemologist looks for cut proportions, color clarity, and color tint

In each of these three categories there is an inherent predilection of each type of individual going into the assessment of what they are looking for, each looking at the same diamond and each coming away with variations of evaluation.  This analogy between judging people and diamond evaluation might be stretching it a bit as I get to my point I am struggling to make, yet I continue.

In John 7 there is an account of Jesus teaching in the temple. “The Jews therefore marveled, saying, ‘How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?’” (verse 15).  The answer Jesus gives is so powerful, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I speak from my own authority’” (verse17). Jesus continues on even stating that there are those who seek to kill him. “The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?’” (verse 20). They had no idea He knew their very thoughts. Jesus then continues to present to the people some questions (verses 21-23) and then states, ‘Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.’” (verse 24)

What is this “right judgment” in verse 24? 

The Jews wondered who Jesus was and were surprised that Jesus was so skilled in words, yet Jesus had never been through the stringent Rabbinic training that would signify that He had the goods to teach, so they questioned the validity of His teaching. The people who said Jesus had a demon because Jesus called out hidden truths were another example of an incorrect assessment of Jesus. The Son of God was in their midst and two categories of individuals were unable to recognize Him.

I have always wondered about the fact that the Jews waited for years and years and years for the Messiah and were unable to receive Him when He came. He was not what they expected. I don’t point fingers at the Jewish people, I just consider the human tendency that allows this dynamic of rejection of something or someone who seems cross-purpose to their expectations. 

The subject of the rejection of Jesus is for another time but in this writing I think I have identified what Jesus is teaching through this scripture regarding right judgment - that a person can only evaluate correctly if they do two things - have the desire to align their will with God’s will and to not judge by appearances. 

I really don’t have the answer to this subject of right judgment and as to how we can know we are desiring God’s will in the foundation of our assessments of others and of events, but it is certainly something to desire and to pray about.

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground”

Psalm 143:10