Matthew 7 - There's a lot Underneath the Surface that We Don't Know About

Last Saturday, a friend shared a story with me about her daughter's first dentist appointment. When the dentist office said they were going to take x-rays, she was a little worried about how that was going to work, but it worked out fine and she was explaining the awe of seeing adult teeth sitting underneath her daughter's baby teeth and all I could think was, there is a lot under the surface that we can't see.

I have been running that idea through my head this week as I think about people and things I see. I was drawn to a couple of ideas in Matthew 7. The first is the idea of not judging others which Jesus talks about in verses 1-5 of the chapter:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

As I thought about this, I was reminded of those teeth, sitting under the surface, that we can't see, and I think about people I know, with many things sitting under the surface too that I don't know about. Are they good? Are they bad? Is it mine to determine? 

I think the truth is that it is complicated. These verses remind me that I, too, can be judged and I know that I am not perfect. There are plenty of labels that I wear, that people could hear or learn and paint their own picture of who I am. They could also witness one soundbite  and determine my character. Would they be accurate? They could be, but probably not. There is a lot going on under my surface, in my mind and my heart. 

Let's look at two labels I wear, Christian and gay. Part of me doesn't know where to start with what ideas and images people might have of me given these two labels alone. These labels evoke many ideas and emotion in our current society, but here a few negative ideas or thoughts I have heard and run across:

• You can't be Christian and gay
• Gay...flouncing fairy
• Christian...judgmental holy roller

The interesting thing about these is that they just don't fit. First of all being gay is your sexual identity and being Christian is your set of beliefs. They can easily exist in the same person. Christian beliefs guide my actions as a man everyday. And I am pretty sure that people who know me would not say I am a flouncing fairy or a judgmental holy roller. 

Instead, most people would say that I am pretty normal, although possibly quirky, with geeky tendencies. Also, people have remarked on how open to hearing and understanding others I am. I don't believe we have to agree to love and care for each other, but I do believe in respect and understanding. And there is a lot under the surface that you don't know about. God has me on a journey and even I don't know where it ends up or all the ways I will be shaped along the journey.

Matthew 7:1,2 is often associated with the idea of walking a mile in another person's shoes. I agree with that. I don't think you can truly understand the place a person is coming from without dialogue with them and you can't appreciate where their ideas come from without taking time. If a person is a part of your life, it is important to understand who that person is. Labels, which we use as a quick way to understand people are not really effective because there is a lot going on under the surface that we don't know about. 

But where does that leave us? I think the answer to that is to see what fruit the person bears.

¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Take the time to walk a mile in a person's shoes and observe the fruit of their life; following both of these ideas will help you evaluate a person and your response to them. 

It makes sense to us to do this for the people who are family, friends, co-workers...people who are engaged in our lives, but that is not where it ends. In this season, where we in the US are preparing to elect a president and soundbites and labels abound. Will you determine a person's worth based on soundbites and labels or will you walk a mile in their shoes and examine the fruit of their life?

There is a lot under the surface that we don't know about.