GETTING REAL: IF I LOOK AT YOU, ARE YOU GOING TO BE MAD?

I hear sometimes people talk about there experiences when they have come into a church and some of the people judge them by the looks they gave them.  The person may mention how they felt uncomfortable because of the way someone looked at them, and in fact have interpreted those looks to be dirty evil looks.  Well, I am going to be on the other side this morning because we are not always right in our thinking.  Sometimes we can accuse people of looking at us in the wrong way when really we are the ones interpreting the wrong thing.

Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2)

The first basis we can begin at is we are not right in all our thoughts.  We think we are but we are not.  When someone looks at us, we can come to understand that we don’t have the ability to know what a person is thinking. Yet, we at times draw many conclusions based on a look.  We’ll say, “that person is staring at me (really we are uncomfortable with the stare which I understand)….he/she is checking me out etc etc”.  Do you really know if that person is checking you out? NO.  I was sitting in service this past Sunday when a older gentleman walked in service with a Mohawk.  This guy looked to be about 60yrs old, and his Mohawk is what caught attention to my eyes.  I stared at the guy.  Why?  He had a Mohawk and that is not normal to my eyes in the daily things I usually see.  If it had been on a younger person, I probably wouldn’t have stared, but this caught my eyes. Now, what if the guy saw me looking at him  and thought “this kid must got a problem with me, he’s judging me etc.”  Well he would have been completely wrong.  What I thought was, “wow this old guy has got a Mohawk and he came in with my friend, let me make sure I speak to him and show him some Christian love!”.  My intentions were to love the man and he did not know that.   The point I am making is you just cannot go off of an initial look all the time.  Let the behavior play out, see what comes out of their mouth etc, then you’ll be able to discern a little bit better.

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (John 7:24)

You may ask, but what about when someone walks by you and you speak but they don’t, that’s rude isn’t it?  Your still not right all the time my friend.  What if they had something on their mind?  I have had people say to me, “didn’t you see me waving at you?”  No, I didn’t because I was thinking about something or looking were your eyes thought that I was.  In John 7:24 Jesus Christ is exhorting the Jews about their judgment on Him concerning Jesus healing someone on the Sabbath.  The Greek rendering is opsis which means an external show:--appearance, countenance, face.  Be careful not to quickly judge based on what you initially see, study intently, so that you have an understanding of what is taking place. 

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

If I see you come in the church, I am going to look at you.  I am going to stare if there is something not normal to my eyes.  But don’t think that I am judging you because quite frankly, I don’t know who you are.  I want to see who is coming in and out, so I can give a person a call if I don’t see them.  In fact if you’re overtaken in a fault, shouldn’t I approach you and help you as?  Depending on the circumstances, I may have to look at you in order to do that.  As an African American, I used to think when I walk in predominately white areas; white people were being racist by looking at me funny or staring at me.  Not necessarily.  Is it normal for them to see a black face around everyday? No, then that may be a reason as to why they are looking.

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:20-23)

Ah ha there it is, it says here evil eye!  Yes it does, which in context is referring to a particular behavior right?  What behaviors are evil where your eyes are involved?  Jealously and envy are when looking at a person you do or don’t know.  This is similar to what Christ addressed about with men when they look upon a woman with the evil eye.  What makes it evil? The lust does, not the looking.  I can look at a beautiful woman and see her revealing outfit she has on and not be lusting after her.  It could be she’s wearing revealing clothing in this cold Maryland weather, and that is not smart thing to do.  I could be thinking to offer her my coat so she can be warm.  I could be looking at her and praying for her.  Point is she doesn’t know I am thinking, and she would be wrong to say: “that brother looking at me wants me.”  She doesn’t know that!  See it! The way for her to know is if I walk up to her, grab her butt, say some trifling pick up line to her, etc, then that would be a good indication of what’s going on, you see.

 

Just think about this.  When you jump to a conclusion when someone is staring at you judging you, think about someone else may wonder the same thing about you even though you know you were not doing so.  Trust me, I understand completely that we shouldn’t stare at people, it makes them uncomfortable.  I respect that.  Also, not every look is one to make you feel uncomfortable, it may be one in love, one because the other person has never seen you before etc.  The point is you don’t know always why a person is looking at you.  Better yet, why do you look at them?  Love you my dearly beloved.

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I [am] a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.  Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant [thee] thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more [sad]. (1 Samuel 1:12-18)

 

Karsten L. Miller