Some years ago, I served jury duty. I have been summoned many times in my adult life for jury duty. With one or two exceptions, every time I was summoned, I ended up at least having to come in to the courthouse for a day of waiting to see if I would be assigned to a case. Almost all of those times, I was sent to a courtroom for a case, and more waiting ensued to see if I would be picked. Several of those times, I was on the juror panel as the attorneys questioned us to determine if having us as jurors on their trial would help or hurt their case. Out of all of that, I have only actually been a sworn-in juror on one trial. And boy, did I learn a lot!
It was an interesting experience. I felt like I was on Matlock or Perry Mason as I listened to the lawyers and witnesses. The trial lasted four days, and we deliberated one day, so my service was one week. I actually found the whole experience very interesting. I enjoyed being part of the justice system, and getting to know my fellow jurors. Some aspects of the trial were even funny. But I also learned something that is true of the Christian life as well.
All along, we had been told we had to find on the evidence. This meant that we were to learn everything about the case from what was said and submitted in the courtroom. We were not allowed to go and try to research it ourselves, or try to find additional info on it. We were supposed to be fair and impartial, and form our beliefs about it based solely on what was presented. We weren't allowed to talk about it with anyone else, because they might taint our opinions. This was drilled into us at every session. The judge would admonish us with this every time there was a break, and we left the courtroom.
Before the jurors went to deliberate and render a verdict, the prosecution made a very interesting point that really applies to all of life. He reminded us how we had been told we had to find on the evidence, but he added, "But that doesn't mean you check your common sense in at the door when you come in." He gave this example. We were on the third or fourth floor of a six-story building, and there were no windows in the courtroom. We had been in the courtroom several hours. As such, we had no way of knowing what the weather was like outside. He said, "What if someone came into this room dripping wet and said, 'I really need to get a new umbrella!'. Would that prove it was raining outside?" The answer was no, it would not prove, but it would strongly indicate that it was raining outside. He asked, "Is there any other possible reason someone might come in wet, and happen to mention needing a new umbrella?" He raised the possibility that the person could have been walking across the lawn when the sprinklers came on, and he got soaked, and then happened to be reminded that he intended to buy a new umbrella soon. But the most likely possibility would be that the person actually got caught in the rain.
To further illustrate his point, he made a more obvious example. He said, "There's a state in the US I'm going to talk about. You have to figure out which one based on the evidence. Here is the evidence. It was founded in 1850, after gold was discovered there two years earlier. This state touches the Pacific Ocean. This state has a baseball team called the Dodgers. It is right next to a state that starts with an N and has legalized gambling." As this trial was happening in Riverside, California, we all knew he was describing our own state. He didn't technically say it was California, but finding on the evidence gave us no other alternative.
In conclusion, he gave a ludicrous example. "What if a piece of chocolate cake you'd been saving for a snack had a bite taken out of it, and your child was found with chocolate frosting smudged all over his front teeth. When you asked the child if he took the bite out of the cake, he said no, the neighbor kid next door came over and took the bite out of the cake, then decided they should play dentist together, and he was the dentist and your child was the patient, and the dentist smeared frosting on your child's teeth in pretending he was giving him a flouride treatment. Would you believe your child?" This was a ridiculous example, meant to show that not every possibility is likely enough to consider.
In reaching our verdict, he urged us to think through all possibilities, and go with what was most likely true, if we were convinced "beyond a reasonable doubt." The example he had just given us about the cake was obviously the child's (or defendant's) attempt to manipulate evidence to say something it really didn't say. The example about California was something we could determine beyond any doubt. Some things are like that. The first example, about knowing if it was raining, would be a little less obvious, because there could be other possibilities (even if less likely). That was why we needed to use our God-given common sense in the deliberation process.
By the way, we found the defendant guilty. That's another story, though.
Sometimes in life, we have to make a judgment about something. John 7:24 tells us, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Judging righteously sometimes requires a little work to get to the truth. Not only do we need our common sense, but we need our Bible sense. We find on the evidence, but we use God's word and discernment to reach that judgment.
What if you were on an emergency errand in the middle of the night, and you happened to drive past your pastor's house, and as you did, you noticed a car in the driveway that belonged to a single young woman in the community. You have no facts, but it has the potential to get you thinking that something might be going on that shouldn't. The car in his driveway is the evidence. In fact, it is what is called circumstantial evidence. But before you make a judgment that the pastor and this woman are in a compromising situation, ask yourself if there is another possibility. Could the pastor and his wife be giving this woman counsel? Could the pastor be borrowing her car because his is in the shop? Could she have left her car there for the pastor to fix (since he's a mechanic on the side)? Is it possible that isn't her car, but just looks like it? To all of those questions, yes! Any of those things are possible. Given what you know about your pastor, would it be likely he would compromise like that? If not, why not judge that nothing wrong is going on, and it isn't really your business? That's an easy one, but let's look at some harder ones, that actually might be your business.
What if you are in charge of a ministry at your church, and a new person comes in who really seems to fill a lot of needs you have. They appear to be an answer to prayer, in fact. But a few people come to you, saying this person is being divisive, or even abusive? What are you going to do? How will you determine the truth?
What if you have an uneasy feeling about the way your boss manages money, and you start to wonder if something unethical or even illegal is happening? How do you figure our the reality of the situation, and what you're supposed to do about it?
What if a Bible teacher you really respect criticizes another ministry you also respect? How do you figure out what to believe about it?
What if someone you know is making you uneasy. They're crossing boundaries with other people, but no one else seems to mind it. It just really makes you uncomfortable. What do you do?
Your pastor starts making statements in his messages that rub you the wrong way, and seem a little off and unbiblical, but they're not about salvation issues, and aren't totally clear anyway. Where do you go from there?
So often, we hear "Don't judge!" to the point that we're afraid to use our brains to form any sort of conclusions about anything. Yet, as has already been shared, John 7:24 tells us we are supposed to judge, but to do it righteously. Just like the prosecuting attorney told us not to check in our common sense at the door, we need to make sure we don't check in our Bible sense at the door. Yes, we find on the available evidence. We don't let our own ideas cloud the truth. And yet we also weigh in biblical truth and discernment. Ask God for wisdom. There is a promise in James 1:5 that He will give it if you ask: If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Ask God for wisdom. He will give it! Then, ask Him to reveal the truth. Jesus promised in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit would guide believers into all truth. With His help, search out the situation with the available evidence you have. Do not gossip or spread it around needlessly, but it is okay to get insight from a safe person. I'm going to give a caveat to this in the next paragraph, but when God has revealed the truth to you, speak out boldly! The apostles spoke out boldly, sometimes even using people's names, when something was wrong (a few examples are Galatians 2:11-14; Philippians 4:2-3; Second Timothy 4:10; Third John verses 9-10). This doesn't mean you try to humiliate them. It means when you know (not just suspect) the truth, and have done your due diligence, and then speak out on what you know. Don't speak beyond that. Don't try to speculate about more than you know. Make sure your own personal vengeance and biases are not part of it. Ephesians 4:15 says to speak the truth in love.
Sometimes, the truth isn't as clear as we'd like. Using the example of your boss possibly being unethical with money, you may not be able to determine what is going on. If God doesn't reveal the situation to you, and you are not able to learn anything from what is available to you, do not speak out, because you don't know the situation. As I said in the previous paragraph, only speak out what you know. Maybe God doesn't reveal it all to you. But He will reveal to you what you are to do. Maybe you are led to leave the job with the possibly unethical boss. Maybe you are led to leave the church where the pastor is making seemingly unbiblical statements. Maybe you are led to stay away from the person who seems to have boundary problems. Not every seeming problem is a cause for us to majorly expose. Sometimes it is, but other times, we just move on, or let go. God will show you what go do. In the end, He will bring everything to light (Luke 8:17).
Always seek out the truth. Weigh the evidence you have, and consider all possibilities. Ask questions appropriately, while avoiding spreading gossip. God gave you common sense. He gave you the Bible. He gave you the Holy Spirit. You have everything you need to get to the answers! The next time you get a jury summons, you'll be prepared.
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