A Book by Its Cover

(Jesus said) “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at Him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.” Luke 7:34-35

You can't tell a book by its cover.

That's a truth which was underscored when a staff member at New York City's Trump International Hotel kicked multi-millionaire Duck Dynasty star Jase Robertson out of the swank facility. It appears when the bearded Robertson asked the Trump employee for directions to the bathroom, he was cordially and kindly escorted out of the building.

It appears the Trump representative took a good look at Robertson, wrongly judged he was a homeless individual who had wandered in from the street, and respectfully sent him on his way.

Reviewing the incident, Robertson said two things:

1. He hoped the employee doesn't get into trouble, and

2. he would have come to the same conclusions and done the same thing.

No, you can't tell a book by its cover.

Here's another example: if you take a look at the folks who gather for worship on a Sunday morning, you are going to see them as a gaggle of nice people who, for the most part, are well dressed, respectful pillars of their communities, who possess excellent moral standards and are guided by lofty principles.

When God looks at that same group of people, He sees folks who, like the rest of humanity, began living as condemned sinners. He sees us as people who need and, unlike the rest of humanity, have come to believe in the Savior.

You see, you can't tell a book by its cover.

When Jesus was physically on earth and doing the Father's business of saving us, many people took a serious look at His actions and His exterior. When they did that, they judged Him to be a rabbi, a blasphemer, a sinner, a Samaritan, a partygoer, an anarchist, a disrespecter of the Sabbath.

Very few of them saw who Jesus really was: God's perfect Son, their Savior.

Even today there are still those who, looking at the Person of the Christ, try to demote Him into being a philosopher, a good-deed doer, a teacher, a healer, a charlatan, and an historical hoax.

The truth is Jesus is who He always has been. He is the answer to our transgressions and the One who rescues from hell all those who believe on Him. By the power of the Holy Spirit, people can see Him for who He really is ... when they realize you can't judge a book by its cover.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, having seen Your love for us in the Person of the Savior, may we look upon others differently. May we see all those around us as folks who need the Good News of salvation, which comes only through Your Son, Jesus. In His Name. Amen.

Pastor Ken Klaus

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