Mark 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

Jesus knew what was on people’s hearts. We are being conformed to the image of Christ, so therefor are we not also to perceive what is on the hearts of our fellow man?

Proverbs 26:12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

We are a perceptive people. We observe. We read. We judge. We even have the ability to read body language intuitively. Perception however is a sensory condition and does not and cannot be depended upon when it comes to the condition of the heart. Why?

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Because we do not even know our own heart, how can we be sure of the heart of another? Our perception of what is going on in others is based first in a connection to our understanding of our own heart. I can see what others do and I know how I felt when I acted that way. It is a vain thing to assume that same actions are based in same heart conditions. You may perceive that something is wrong but do not assume you know the cause.

What I have discovered over the years, in making many mistakes myself, is that the most difficult cause to realize is something I did to elicit a negative response. “What me? What did I do?”

It is always easier to look and say they have a problem than it is to recognize what part in it we play. I am innocent in my heart! Yes, but do they know that? My perceptions of any moment belong to me and will not match perfectly what is happening in the heart of those around me.

That is why Jesus said judge not.