But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. — Genesis 37:18
when we misjudge others, failing to understand who they really are. When we are quick to judge, we can needlessly hurt others, including ourselves.
In this week’s reading, Joseph’s brothers had severely misjudged him. They heard him talk about his dreams, which implied that he would rule over the family, and then they saw him bring a bad report about them back to their father. They concluded that Joseph was a bad seed and that it was their duty to get rid of him.
They didn’t really know him or understand who he really was. They passed judgment on Joseph from a distance, “before he reached them,” before getting close enough to truly know him.
All too often, we also make the mistake of judging people when we don’t really know them. This can lead to ruined relationships, passed up friendships, and deeply hurt feelings.
In reality, there is so much more to every person then what we can possibly know. How could we ever pass judgment? Instead of being judgmental, we need to give others the benefit of the doubt. Instead of judging from a distance, let’s come close to others with kindness, understanding, compassion, and love.
