Jumping to Confusion

We often hear the statement, “Jumping to Conclusions” it means:

jump to conclusions

  1. make a hasty judgment before learning or considering all the facts.
    “they are imagining things, jumping to conclusions”
    Definitions from Oxford Languages
It usually refers to someone who doesn’t consider all the facts…they have only partial information of what is true and then they quickly draw a conclusion.
A conclusion which is usually wrong.
I heard recently another definition for jumping to a conclusion without all the facts… I was asked this question – what do you call a conclusion with out having all the information – the answer they gave – a conspiracy theory.
In this age of innuendoes, lies, half truths and outright conspiracies it is easy to become brainwashed into thinking something is true when you don’t have all the facts.
Lets watch how easy it is to get brainwashed…

Ok, so it’s easy to become brainwashed or jump to a conclusion without all the facts…so what is the harm in that?
People believe all sorts of things…they believe in reincarnation, little green men from Mars, that Elvis is still alive, climate change, that is earth is billions of years old …all sorts of weird and wacky things.
Why is that an issue or problem?
Live and let live…right?
The problem is that when you believe in an untruth, or a half truth, you are believing a lie – and in believing a lie you can make decisions, judgements, and draw conclusions about people, about their motivation, about their character, and about situations that just aren’t true.

Watch how the sin of assuming a number of people were Christian, clouds their thinking. Watch for the moment they become un-brainwashed.

In fact, a person may not jump to a false conclusion, they may instead jump straight into total, chaos and utter confusion!!
Look at what the word says, James (this is considered to be James the brother of Jesus) here is writing and he makes this statement. Lets look at three bible versions for clarity.
New International Version
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Berean Literal Bible
For where jealousy and self-interest exist, there will be disorder and every evil thing.

King James Bible
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

The Apostole Paul chimes in with these thoughts in his writing to the church at Corinth, he had to defend himself against some untruths.
New International Version
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
2 Cor 12;20
With only half truths in place – drawing a wrong conclusion becomes really easy and if you draw the wrong conclusion about a person’s motives, or character, or a situation, you can quickly move from chaos and disorder into confusion and then into full blown condemnation.
Something that Jesus warned about…

Luke 6:37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

Could it be that Jesus was trying to teach the people not to judge without all the facts in place?
Knowing full well that he was going to suffer persecution, an illegal trial, and crucifixion because of the rulers of the people jumped to a wrong conclusion based on a lie.
Jesus possed this question to his disciples…

Peter’s Confession of Christ

(Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; John 6:66-71)

18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

Jesus Predicts His Death

(Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33)

21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

But look at the gossip going around town about Jesus…

Luke 9:11Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Is Jesus the Messiah?

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. 29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. 30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. 33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. 34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? 36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

Living Water

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Division of People over Jesus

40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? 43 So there was a division among the people because of him. 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 53 And every man went unto his own house.

 

Talk about town gossip!
Talk about jumping to total confusion!
Talk about drawing wrong conclusions because they didn’t have all the facts. 
Talk about the arrogance of the Jewish religious leaders, poor Nicodemious, he got totally tromped on and publicly humiliated by  those who thought they knew who Jesus was and didn’t know anything.
These wrong conclusions about Jesus, where he came from, who he was, his ministry and who he was as a person, led to his arrest, his illegal trial and his crucifixion, just as he had warned about.
So jumping to conclusions or jumping to full blown confusion is no small matter, it is dangerous and can have horrific consequences for people, their reputation and their very lives.
And we do the same thing today, one person says something about another person based on the truth they know, and another person judges someone based on the truth they think they know and yet another condemns someone based on all kinds of half truths, outright lies and misinformation.
With the world so caught up in lies, deceit, confusion and disorder, we as Christians need to slow things down, or as our Bro. Barry says, “Back the Truck Up!”. Due to the mood and society today we can choose either to follow their downhill  race to utter confusion, and disorder, or choose to take a slower, calmer Christlike approach and not pre-judge anyone, and even if we think we have all the facts, we don’t… it is impossible to know everything about everyone only God has all knowledge.

Prejudge is a related term of prejudice.
As verbs the difference between prejudge and prejudice is that prejudge is to judge before considering the evidence while prejudice is to have a negative impact on someone’s position, chances etc.

As a noun prejudice is (countable) an adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge of the facts.

So what is the conclusion?
No more jumping to confusion!
Lets give the Apostle Paul the last words

King James Bible
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

I Cor 4;5

 

 

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