An Unusual Passenger

Maybe that’s why the air steward returning to the seat in front of me caught my attention.

Luke 7:36-50

Reference: When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” (‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭39‬ NIV)

Explore: The other day I was on an early morning flight. The flight only took a couple of hours and I was on a cheap airline where you had to pay for your own food and drinks.

I had been able to grab a quick bite to eat for breakfast before getting on the plane, so I hadn’t taken any notice of the food trolley going past.

Maybe that’s why the air steward returning to the seat in front of me caught my attention. She had returned with something extra in hand and was passing it to the gentleman in front of me.

I instinctively looked and what she was offering the gentleman and noticed it was a small bottle of alcohol. I was quite surprised. I had struggled to stomach a piece of toast before boarding the flight and here was this guy swigging down liquor.

I looked around at the faces I could see. One passenger rolled their eyes, but the air steward kept a straight face. I guess it was in her job description not to judge a passenger.

And that’s when it struck me. I was judging this man without knowing anything about him.

For all I knew, he’d been working night shift and was flying home to sleep, so it was like the end of his day. For all I knew, drinking alcohol before 9 am in the morning was the least of his worries.

It was so easy, and I was so quick, to judge.

Application: I don’t know if it’s human nature, but I do know I judge more quickly than I love. And yet, Jesus was very clear about this response in the Bible.

We can never fully understand what someone else is going through. All we should be judging is our own actions.
When Simon the Pharisee challenges Jesus about the actions of someone else, Jesus’ response is to highlight Simon’s very own actions – or lack thereof! I guess that’s why He intimates that we can start judging others when we are blameless.

This is a great challenge for me. I need to start jumping to the love conclusion rather than always leading to judgement.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I judge others. I am by no means perfect. May I learn to love quickly and judge slowly. Amen.

How will you respond to others today?

alcohol, flying, judgement, Luke, perfect