After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. (ESV)

There is an atmosphere of great kindness in verses 1-7, but even so it shows that public opinion can be fickle. As we see brothers and sisters suffer in various ways, may we kept from thinking and saying hurtful, judgmental things, and only adding to their pain. Someone said that the Christian church is the only army to shoot its own wounded! May God keep us far from the ranks of ‘Job’s comforters.’

‘How changeable is human opinion, shifting in a moment from the highest to the lowest estimate of our fellows, and basing that estimate solely on the favoUrable or unfavoUrable aspect of outward circumstances! Let us not judge by appearance, but righteously. Because Paul cast off the viper, they accounted him divine; if he had died, they would have thought him a felon.’ F.B. Meyer