Jesus didn't rush to judgement (and neither should you)

Ever have one of those moments where you wish you could say something clever and your mind is blank?  This happened to me the other day.

I was riding around town with a close relative.  To say this person is on an extreme side of the political spectrum is an understatement.  Hate spewed from this person's lips, and I found anger growing inside me as I lean toward the other end of the political spectrum.

I honestly do not care what one's political leanings are as long as one can be civil about it.  And this relative of mine also puts themselves upon a pedestal of superiority while putting down others for thinking the "other candidate" is worth anything.

As I rode around town for a few hours, this person judged others so many times I lost track.  Near the end of our ride, this person commended on a flag with one of the current candidates name on it.  What vile comments came out of their mouth.

But again, I was silent.

Thinking of the four gospels, many of Jesus's actions have puzzled me.  But after I returned home and reflected on the vile hatred this person spewed worth, I thought about the 8th chapter from the book of John.  Starting in verse 6, the religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus, but he "stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger."  Continuing on in verse 7: "They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, 'All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!'"  Verse 8: "Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust."

This stooping down and writing in the dust has puzzled me, but I finally got what Jesus might have been doing.  He didn't rush to judgement (even though he knew what evil lied within their hearts).  He paused, as if pondering what to do.

I am not proud that I allowed anger to burn inside me.  But I am happy that I paused and did not say anything in return.  I believe the Holy Spirit was granting me the opportunity to think, to not say anything at that time.  In the future, the Holy Spirit will probably give me the opportunity to relay how displeased I was at their tone, and how judgmental and hypocritical they were.

Last year, judgement was one of my lessons learned--and it appears that I am continuing to learn more and more about it.

Praise Jesus!