Leviticus 13:1-8: a reflection

In the law for examining a skin disease, the priest is to look closely, wait, and examine again before pronouncing judgment, a picture of careful, patient discernment rather than a hasty verdict. The priest shall examine the plague, the law says; and if it is uncertain, he shall isolate the person seven days, and examine him again, and if needed, isolate him yet another seven days before judging. The priest was not to rush to a verdict on the basis of a first glance. He was to examine closely, and where the matter was not clear, to wait, watch, and examine again, taking the time needed to discern truly whether the condition was serious or not. Careful, patient examination, not a hasty verdict, was the pattern. This shows the value of careful, patient discernment over a hasty verdict. Take time to examine carefully before pronouncing judgment. Careful, patient discernment is better than a hasty verdict. Where a matter is not clear, wait and look again before judging. Do not rush to a verdict on the basis of a first glance.

Notice the care the priest was to take. He was not to glance and pronounce, rushing to a verdict; he was to examine the condition closely. And where the matter was uncertain, not clearly serious or clearly harmless, he was not to guess or decide hastily; he was to isolate the person and wait seven days, then examine again, and if still unclear, wait and examine yet again, taking the time needed to discern truly. The whole pattern is one of careful, patient examination, refusing to rush to judgment where the matter was not clear. This holds wisdom for our own judging and discerning. It is easy to rush to a verdict on the basis of a first glance, a quick impression, an incomplete look, to decide hastily about a matter or a person before we have really examined and understood. But wisdom, like the priest, takes time to examine carefully, and where a matter is not clear, waits, looks again, and takes the time needed to discern truly, rather than rushing to a hasty verdict that may be wrong. Careful, patient discernment, especially where things are unclear, is better than quick, hasty judgment. We do well to take time to examine carefully and discern patiently before pronouncing judgment, rather than rushing to a verdict on the basis of a first glance. Take time to examine carefully before pronouncing judgment on a matter or person. Where things are unclear, wait and look again rather than deciding hastily. Careful, patient discernment is better than a quick, hasty verdict. Do not rush to judge on the basis of a first impression.

That is worth taking to heart, for careful, patient discernment is better than a hasty verdict, and we do well to take time to examine before judging, as the priest examined closely and waited before pronouncing. We can rush to a verdict on a first glance; but the priest examined carefully, and where the matter was unclear, waited and looked again before judging. Discern patiently. Do not rush to a verdict on a first impression; take time to examine carefully, and where things are unclear, wait and look again before you judge. Take time to examine carefully and discern patiently before pronouncing judgment, waiting and looking again where a matter is unclear rather than rushing to a hasty verdict, as in the law for examining a skin disease the priest was to look closely, wait, and examine again before pronouncing judgment, a picture of careful, patient discernment, since he was to examine the condition and where it was uncertain isolate the person seven days and examine again, and if needed isolate him another seven days before judging; for the priest was not to rush to a verdict on a first glance but to examine closely and, where the matter was not clear, to wait, watch, and examine again, taking the time needed to discern truly whether the condition was serious, careful and patient examination rather than a hasty verdict being the pattern, which holds wisdom for our own judging and discerning, since it is easy to rush to a verdict on the basis of a first glance or quick impression and decide hastily about a matter or person before we have really examined and understood, but wisdom like the priest takes time to examine carefully and, where a matter is not clear, waits and looks again and takes the time needed to discern truly rather than rushing to a hasty verdict that may be wrong, so that careful, patient discernment, especially where things are unclear, is better than quick, hasty judgment, and we do well to take time to examine and discern patiently before pronouncing judgment.