The old man walked into the showroom, dirt from head to toe, carrying two paper bags. It was clear to the wash boy that he had everything he owned in the large bag and possibly some food in the smaller one. The sales manager at the local Chrysler dealership was a busy man, so he got his son a job washing cars after school which afforded time to develop his son’s character. One day he noticed that his son seemed to be judging this old man as he came into the showroom. “Come on in and look around,” he heard his Dad say just as he turned to witness the opening of the door on a New Yorker with white interior the man had been studying intently. “Sit down in the seat and see how it feels,” words of torment that pierced the young man’s eardrums. “You look good in it and your wife is going to love you for bringing it home to her.” The man looked up at the salesman and ask if he were sure he had a wife to which the Dad replied in true car salesman fashion that he couldn’t imagine a dignified man like himself not having a beautiful wife at home. They both laughed but the son was getting angrier by the minute with each word that Dad spoke to this man who obviously couldn’t buy that car. The old bum looked at the salesman and said, “I think this one will do the job, but I’d like to clean up a little before we do the paperwork.” “Son, open those doors so we can get this one back to the wash bay and freshen it up a little.” The boy knew his Dad was a good man but was certain this day he had taken the lesson too far. The door opened and the car rolled off the floor and disappeared down the street. Returning to the wash bay without a word the young man was surprised to see the car return and pull into his office. While he worked on the car the man went over on the second bay removed the dirty clothes and bathed. Taking a clean set of clothes from the large bag, dressed himself and walked toward the showroom. The car clean and ready, the boy took the keys to his Dad just in time to hear the old man say, “Just count the money out of that little bag.” Giving the salesman a wink he added, ‘Today’s my wife’s birthday.” On that day my Dad taught me a lesson about judging.
“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. James 2:8-10
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2
