And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just – Romans 3:8
Judy Sheindlin’s reputation as an unbiased straight shooter as Judge Judy was evident during a recent airing of the former series. The episode, titled ‘Punched Over a Parking Spot!,’ involved a bystander’s confrontation with a driver parked illegally in a handicapped space, which escalated into a physical altercation. Despite the judge’s ruling to award the plaintiff a partial amount of the medical charges, she adamantly voiced her disapproval of the plaintiff’s actions, no matter how well-intended his motives. In other words, he had taken a stand in the wrong way.
While a person’s heart may have the right motive, their behavior is the ultimate measure. This had been my thought at the conclusion of Judge Judy’s ruling, as well as Moses’ actions described in Exodus 2:11. Although Moses was justifiably angered when “he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren,” and felt compelled to do something, his decision—when not witnessed, “he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand” (vs. 12)—was wrong. And there were other examples in the Bible when individuals, though driven by good intentions, acted wrongly and were met with God’s judgment.
Just as the Bible teaches—as in Romans 3:8—that taking a stand in the wrong way does not make it right, there are other teachings about demonstrating your principles properly. Often, it simply requires removing yourself.