Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20 / Luke 21:1-4
Judging a person or something by looks depends on a few factors and most of them are usually logical.
If a person dresses elegantly, we may presume that the person is a neat and tidy person
If something is sleek and well designed, we may presume that much thought and craftsmanship had gone into producing it.
So usually the looks and appearance will shape our judgement and we come to a logical conclusion.
But what if the looks and appearance and our judgement point to a different conclusion?
In the 1st reading, the four young men - Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah - requested for a vegetarian diet so as not to be defiled by the pagan food from the king's table.
But after the trial period, they looked and were in better health than any of the boys who had the food from the royal table.
Certainly it was by the grace of God that this was possible. Otherwise it would be logically difficult to explain that.
In the gospel, Jesus pointed out that it was the poor widow who, with her two coins, had put in more than any of the rich people.
Comparatively it does not seem so. How can two small coins from a poor widow be more than what the rich people put into the treasury.
But God sees things in another way. And by His grace, people and things may not be what they appear to be in our eyes.
We need to ask God for His grace to see more and see beyond before we come to any judgement and conclusion.