8 June 2025
A riddle is effective in that its puzzle draws on the hearer’s natural inclination to assume. If I were to say, ‘there was a cabin on a hillside…”, you would immediately picture in your mind a wooden structure, maybe smoke coming from a chimney, and a porched entrance. Yet, there are other things called cabins and even hillsides, so with my choice of words I can lead you to false assumptions. It is a fun game to play, but it also reveals a weakness we all have.
So, too, with what we see and hear. As with our assumptions about the content of a riddle, we tend to jump to conclusions with the things our eyes and ears take in. Isaiah, in one of his Messianic prophetic moments, talks about such judgment in the opposite. The Lord does not judge by what the eyes see or what the ears hear. Instead, he judges with righteousness. The content of Isaiah 11 makes it clear that the Lord has a particular concern for the poor and meek of the earth, those who have no financial, political, or social power. In the beauty of this relationship we have entered into with the Lord, we are given his Spirit to judge similarly. However, we must be careful not to judge with our eyes and ears, but instead to be directed by the Spirit’s whispers.
This should lead us to a different question. No longer are we asking, “why did they do that, why do they behave that way?” Our question becomes about their heart condition not their motivation. It becomes, “how can I love them? How can I care for them?” In concern that this might sound way too passive a faith to those who want to label this or that group as being bad or sinful, I would put forth that there are deeper things to focus one’s judgment toward. As we become more aware of our own selves and what motivates us through the process of growing closer to the Lord, so too we should recognize that this is the same process all must walk to grow. How is it we can facilitate their journey without hindering it. Recognizing that another person has a need is a first step. We can follow up with harsh pronouncements or loving solidarity, the choice is ours. Jesus didn’t ignore sinfulness. He did, however, view it in a different manner, that of the deeper need of the ‘sinner.’ His death, then, gave evidence to support his proclamation that all are loved.