Now I want you to imagine that you are new to the planet again, but this time you come across a kiwi.  As you view the vine with a brown, egg-sized berry covered with fuzz, your first response is to steer clear of your new find.  However, if you build up the courage and slice into this unlikely source of nutrition, you will be pleasantly surprised.  The kiwi will be sweet on the inside and will be similar to a blend between a strawberry and a pineapple (another unappealing fruit).  You will learn very quickly that you cannot judge the inside simply by viewing the outside. 

In I Samuel 16:7, as the prophet Samuel is searching for a new king from among the sons of Jesse, Samuel sees what appears to be the very best that Jesse has to offer in his son Eliab and is sure that this is the one that God has chosen.  However, God reminds Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things that man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

As we go about our daily lives we must be careful that we do not simply look at the outside of people to determine their worth.  Those among us that often look the best on the outside are actually very sour and bitter on the inside, but are covering it well.  Ours is a culture that fears weakness and will stop at nothing to conceal it.  However, there are also those in our world with rough exteriors that are good as gold on the inside. 

When Jesus walked the earth, He demonstrated a special love and concern for those who were disadvantaged and pressed down by the harsh realities of living.  He had compassion for the underprivileged and deprived: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40). 

We must be careful when we judge those around us without seeing what God sees.  Jesus died for all mankind, and there is no one that is not in need of God’s love and compassion.  As Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) we as Christians are called to show Jesus to all of those around us.  As you end this week and begin a new one, I encourage you to look for the “lemons” and “kiwis” around you and treat them as Jesus would.

–Kent Jobe

College Avenue church of Christ