Spiritual Eyesight that Sees Through the Surface – What Standard Do You Use to Judge Matters?

Dear friends, brothers and sisters, peace be with you. Have you ever had this experience? We see someone who looks cold on the outside, and we assume they are hard to get along with, only to discover later that they have an incredibly warm heart. Or perhaps we hear of a seemingly perfect plan, only to find it full of flaws in the end. In life, it is genuinely easy for us to misjudge people and situations based on "first impressions" or "surface appearances." Today, we are going to look at John 7:14-24 together.

This passage takes place right in the middle of the lively Jewish Festival of Tabernacles. Jesus went into the temple courts and began to teach publicly. His words and actions, full of authority, caused a great shock among the Jews of that time, and even sparked considerable division. This passage acts like a spiritual mirror, truly reflecting the prejudices and blind spots that easily hide in our hearts when we face different people and situations. Today, I want to share three key points with you.

First, we see Jesus’ "Teaching" — Submission to God's will is the key to discernment.

The Jews at that time were amazed when they heard Jesus' teaching. They murmured among themselves, "How did this man get such learning without having been taught?" They valued a person's secular educational background and who their teachers were, but Jesus answered them that His teaching was not His own, but came from the Father who sent Him. Here, Jesus gives us a criterion to discern whether a message comes from God: First, see if the person chooses to do God's will; second, see whether he seeks his own glory or the glory of the One who sent him. If our hearts always desire to glorify ourselves, it becomes very difficult to hear God's true voice. This reminds us that genuine spiritual discernment does not rely on cleverness, but begins with a heart "willing to submit to God."

Second, we see the Crowd’s "Dispute" — Love blinded by rigid rules.

Jesus' teaching and His previous act of healing caused great dispute among the Jews, to the point where some even wanted to kill Him. Why was this? Jesus directly pointed out their blind spot: In order to keep the Law of Moses, they thought it perfectly natural to circumcise a baby boy on the Sabbath; yet, when Jesus made a paralyzed man completely well on the Sabbath, they were furious. What an ironic contrast! They clung tightly to religious rituals and written codes, but completely lost the most important core behind the law—God's mercy and love for people. In our daily lives, do we sometimes fall into this same blind spot? We might meticulously argue over the letter of the truth or church regulations, while turning a blind eye to the suffering souls right beside us.

Third, we see the "Principle" of Judgment — Look past the surface, judge with God's righteousness.

In verse 24, Jesus gives us a crucial command: "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly." This is Jesus’ appeal to the Jews, and it is also a reminder for every one of us. To judge "by mere appearances" means to look only at the surface of things, weighing them solely by personal preference or social tradition. Jesus invites us to weigh every matter with God’s righteous and merciful perspective. Applying this principle to our daily lives means that when we hear a rumor, or face someone who doesn't meet our expectations, we shouldn't rush to conclusions. Let us try to quiet ourselves first, give others a little more grace, and ask God for the wisdom to see the essence of the matter and His heart.

Dear brothers and sisters, in our everyday lives, we make judgments big and small. Are we measuring others using worldly perspectives, external achievements, or our own prejudices? Jesus gently reminds us today to break through the myth of appearances and return to God's heart. When we are willing to let go of our pride and seek only God's glory, we will be able to see the truth that is hidden beneath the surface—the truth that God truly wants us to understand.

May the Lord Himself lead us and grant us bright spiritual eyes, so that in our daily lives, we may look upon and love those around us gently, with the compassion and righteousness of Jesus.