John 7:24

‘Do not judge by appearances, but judge righteous judgment'.

Jesus acknowledged their right to judge, but stressed that it was incumbent on them to ensure that their judgment was righteous, and not superficial. Those who claimed the right to judge had a special responsibility to ensure that they judged fairly. But they had overlooked the principles of compassion and mercy. As He says in Matthew 23:23, ‘You tithe (give a tenth to God of) even such trifles as mint and cummin, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith'.

Perhaps we could paraphrase this verse as, ‘Do not judge by what appears to you to be right, but by what is truly right'. Their judgment was superficial. They constantly failed to consider the deeper implications. He was now taking the battle to the enemy.