Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.
- John 7:24

Judgmentalism is the only universally condemned sin in our culture. In no place are we encouraged to be judgmental.

And so, at first, it seems to affirm our cultural bias against judgement to hear Jesus take a swing at the judgmental religious people of his day. And he does take a swing at them. But he does it because they're judging for the wrong reasons. They're hung up on the letter of the law and missing the spirit of the law.

As humans, our default setting it to attend to the letter of the law. We drive at or slightly above - not below - the speed limit. We look for loophole and remember promises made by other people. When we judge, we often judge on mere appearances, on surface issues and on the letter of the law.

Even as Jesus condemns this kind of judgment, he invites his hearers into a different form of judgment, a correct judgment, a judgment which he models for us.

The judgment Jesus invites us into involves having good discernment. This involves focusing on the heart behind the behavior and not just the outward behavior itself. And it involves relating rightly to people, the law and God. Jesus invites them - and us - to make better choices.

How might you grow in good judgment today? Where do you need to grow in discernment?