Judging Pigs

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1-5

“You’d better grab a sweatshirt,” called Mom as Andy was getting ready to spend the day at his friend Ben’s house.

“Okay. Ben’s mom just pulled into the driveway. See you tonight!” Andy shouted as he raced out the door. Ben had just gotten a pet pig, and Andy couldn’t wait to see it.

On their way to the farm, Andy asked questions about Ben’s pig, Rosie. “So, how big is she? Where do you keep her?”

“She’s about the size of a cat right now, so we keep her in the house and put her in a crate at night,” Ben answered. “Eventually we’ll put her out in the barn.”

“You actually keep Rosie in the house?” Andy said, wrinkling his nose. “Doesn’t she make your house…um…stinky and dirty?”

Ben laughed. “That’s what a lot of people think, but pigs actually like to be clean. And clean pigs don’t smell bad. Rosie’s really smart too. She’s litter-box trained, and she already knows the commands ‘Sit,’ ‘No,’ and ‘Come.’”

“I didn’t know pigs were that smart!” exclaimed Andy. “I always thought they were lazy and just rolled around in the mud all day. I guess I never met a pet pig to know what they were really like.”

“You know, that reminds me of how we sometimes judge certain kinds of people even before we meet them,” said Ben’s mom as they pulled into the lane leading up to the farm. “We might listen to other people’s opinions or read something on the internet and form ideas of what they’re like. But God warns us not to judge others by what they wear or what color their skin is or where they’re from. Jesus died for all people, and we need to show His love to everyone. Part of doing that is to get to know people for who they really are and not judge them based on what we see or hear.”

“Yeah,” said Ben. “And you shouldn’t judge pigs either!”

Andy laughed. “I guess I did judge Rosie based on what I’ve heard about pigs instead of finding out the truth.”

Ben grinned. “Come on, Andy. I’ll introduce you to Rosie so you can see what she’s really like!” – Kendra Angle

How About You?

Have you ever judged someone by what they looked like? Have you ever formed an opinion about a group of people based on what others have said about them? Jesus wants us to be kind and loving to all people, even those who look different from us or who don’t share our opinions or beliefs. Get to know people for who they really are and help them see how much Jesus loves them.

Today’s Key Verse:
Matthew 7:1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Don’t judge others