Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes  (1 Corinthians 4:5a).

We spend a lot of time and energy judging, don’t we?  We look around this world and see so very much that is so very wrong.  Hey, we don’t even need to look at the world.  We can look around the Church and see so many things worthy of judgment.  Even Paul–no especially Paul–spends significant time in his epistles judging, doesn’t he? 

So why does he say here that we shouldn’t judge?

Do you remember the parable about the wheat and the weeds?  Jesus said that if we start yanking up the weeds too early, we might pull up the wheat along with it.

Why?

Well, for one thing, the weeds often grow so close to the wheat that their roots get tangled up together.  If you start yanking up weeds, you might tear the good stuff up with it.  When the time is right, you can safely harvest both and separate the good from the bad.

When the time is right.

And how do you know when the time is right?  Well, you don’t.  But the Master of the Land does.  Don’t worry–he won’t forget.

For another thing…eh, we’ll wait until tomorrow for another thing.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.