February 1 Right Judgment

John 7:19-24 “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” 20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment.”
 
JESUS’ conflict with the Jews and now with the crowd is somewhat difficult to understand. We can summarize it, though, with the last four words: “Make a right judgment”. “Judgment” here is not judging whether another is right or wrong but understanding what is real.
   Jesus, of course, is teaching the Jews and then the crowd that joins them that he is the real Son of God. The Jews have accused him of blasphemy. Their wrong judgment is that Jesus broke the Sabbath law when he healed a man on the Sabbath some months earlier. But, Jesus in turn, notes the Jews obey Moses’ law to circumcise on the 8th day of a boy’s life, even if that day were a Sabbath. Is it right judgment to circumcise but not to heal? To truly obey the Sabbath, Jesus teaches that right judgment understands the Sabbath’s purpose to restore. Further, the Jews demonstrate bad judgment because “not one of (them) keeps the law.”
   Also, the Teacher points out Moses did not originate circumcision. This covenant sign came with the patriarch Abraham. In essence, Jesus said, “Make a right judgment to understand that Moses received circumcision from God’s work before him.”
   Third, the crowd’s wrong judgment accused the Lord of lying. They judged a demon was controlling him. Demons did (and do) possess false prophets, creating false miracles. Jesus, they judged, was one of these.
   Jesus then urged this confused group to judge the signs of his teachings. The Sabbath healing was a sign he came to restore life to mankind. The words he spoke clarified the Scriptures. Too intent on their wrong beliefs, his people were unable to make a right judgment regarding the Lord.
   Make right judgments of Jesus. Know Scripture. Understand the Lord’s teachings. John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
   Believe in God. Believe God. 
 
Prayer: We thank you, Lord God, for teaching us your truth and giving to us the sign of your resurrection. I pray I center my mind to the right judgment of your salvation. Amen.