“And his master said to him, ‘We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

This judgment on the part of the Levite is fraught with irony.  He doesn’t want to stay with these foreigners because of how his party might be received.  Instead, he insists on traveling a bit further at a time of day that was no longer safe for traveling, so that his party could find shelter among their own people.  And yet, when they arrive in Gibeah, all hell breaks loose.

Too often we judge others who aren’t like us simply because they aren’t like us.  We don’t treat them like people because they are different.  We assume different means bad.  It is a natural reaction and also a sinful one.  It’s made worse when the character of our own people is actually worse than those we are judging.

People are people and character is determined individually and by what’s on our insides, not by anything external like our skin color or place of birth.  It is never right or fair to make assumptions about someone’s character on the basis of those externals.  Our God makes all His people uniquely and starts them all the same.  Each one of us has the opportunity to follow Him and mimic His character.  We should receive them in the same spirit.