Jumping To Conclusions
The story is told of a lady who had invited her friends to a mushroom and steak dinner. When the can of mushrooms were opened a slight scum was on top. Since the guests were expected soon, the lady suggested, "Give the dog a little and if
he eats it, it is probably all right." The dog not only liked it, he begged for more. So the dinner was completed and served.
After the main course, the maid whispered to her employer, "Ma'am, the dog is dead." There was only one thing to do.
Some time later the guests were reclining after the use of the stomach pump. The lady asked the maid, "Where is the dog now?" "Out on the front steps, ma'am, where he fell when the car hit him." Moral of the story: DON'T JUMP TO
CONCLUSIONS!
Sometimes we are too quick to jump to false conclusions, which in turn, leads to harsh and critical judgments being made. Jesus warned against such (Matthew 7:21). It is possible to form the habit of imagining evils or wrong doings of
others, without the clear evidence. The New Testament condemns this practice calling it, "evil surmisings" (1 Timothy 6:4-5). Commenting on this passage, David Lipscomb says, "This disposition is very prevalent among men, even among Christians. This
habit is here placed in bad association, and is a warning to all who would please God that it should be sedulously avoided...it is really the reflection of the evil heart of him who cultivates the spirit, and usually indicates that he is actuated by evil
motives in what he does, and that he judges others by his own spirit" (A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles, Vol. V, pg. 179-180).
Love is a good safeguard to keep us from jumping to false conclusions. Paul said that love, "...believes all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7). Paul is not saying that Christians are to be gullible, casting aside all wisdom and sound judgment.
"Rather, Paul is saying that when love has no evidence to the contrary, it believes the best about it's fellowman. It refuses to yield itself to unfounded suspicions and doubts; it grants the brother the benefit of the doubt in believing the very best
he can about him" (Mike Willis, A Commentary On Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, pg. 458-459).
Jesus said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits" and "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (Matthew 7:16; John 7:24). Before we pass judgment let's make sure, to the very best of our ability, that we have
the evidence in hand; remembering that the Lord has said, "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you" (Matthew 7:2).
Vernon Teagarden
April, 1998 Volume 4 Issue 2 Index
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