Tuesday, April 15, 2008

 

Unconditional Love Series

 

Matthew 7:17 “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” 

 

First Impressions

 

Jane Austin wrote in Pride and Prejudice that Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy had to put aside his pride and her prejudice to find love with each other.  I have found in many of my relationships, I need to put aside a preconceived idea to make the possible relationship work.   It has been an important lesson that my first impressions were sometimes completely wrong. 

 

In Jesus’ day, just as our day, people were judged by the critical factor of their first impressions.    Matthew was a tax collector, Mary Magdalene a prostitute, the rich young ruler a desirable potential disciple.  As Matthew sat at the tax collector’s booth everyone was appalled that Jesus would want him to become a disciple.    Matthew would have been hated as a Jewish traitor in the Roman system.   That impression was the prevailing impression of this man.    Amazingly, however, he followed Jesus and eventually wrote the gospel of Matthew.   

 

Mary Magdalene was a despised prostitute.   She was hated by the women, used by the men privately, and scorned by them publicly.   Yet, she proved faithful to Jesus and was privileged to be one of the first witnesses to his resurrection.    Mary was a despised prostitute and first impressions would have condemned her.  

 

Everyone saw the rich young ruler as a possible disciple of great potential.   The first impression of Jesus’ disciples was no doubt, “this young man could truly help our cause with money, influence, and physical attractiveness.”  Yet, Jesus knew his heart was wrong.  

 

I value everyone.   I like everybody and always see the best in others.   I have learned to pray and ask God to guide my heart to see past first impressions.   Our God is interested in helping our lives and preparing us in our relationships.   It is imperative as we form relationships and meet people that we ask God to guide us as we make decisions concerning our trust and investment in those relationships.   As we form relationships we must also take time to see past the exterior of a person.   We need to spend time to get to know others as they come into our lives.   I have found if we spend time with people and allow them to be unguarded with us, we can decipher a bit more of their personality.   

 

In the Bible Jesus teaches us some important guidelines about relationships.   Jesus teaches, “Don’t cast your pearls before the swine,” which means don’t give what is sacred about you to people incapable of valuing your life.   Jesus also teaches on the Sermon on the Mount that human beings are like fruit trees, that you value the tree by the fruit.  In making good assessments of people, a telling factor is the fruit their lives produce.   We must remember always the Bible is full of advice about relationships in many places.  We must heed that advice.  

 

Just as Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy found love together through stepping away from their first impressions and analyzing one another through the passage of time and judging each other wisely through experience, we must be sagacious and employ the benefits of our faith in making decisions about other human beings.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, guide me in my relationships. Amen.