Eye-Log Extraction
Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. 6 "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Jesus continues his teaching of the multitudes with a warning. Judge not that you be judged. The Greek word here is Krino, which means to pronounce a final judgment - "those who act the part of judges or arbiters in matters of common life, or pass judgment on the deeds and words of others"
We know God is the final and righteous judge. Jesus isn't saying to not judge at all, we see many times in scripture where he calls us to judge, some more:
John 7:24: Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.
Luke 12:57: And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
Psalm 37:30: The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
Proverbs 31:9: Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Luke 17:3-4: Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.
And there are many many others. This is of course hypocritical judgment he's talking about. As we read on, he speaks of trying to remove a speck out of our brother's eye when we basically have a huge tree growing out of ours. This is hugely important, not just when we go on the mission field, but in every day life.
Examine yourselves. Remove the sin from your heart, from your mind, from your hands. And through the process of extraction, we will have better eyes to see and discern the sin of others.
There's a tendency as American Christians to think we know it all. We've got our churches, we read our bibles, we know the word, we listen to Hillsong, we do our "devos", so naturally, as with the mentality that is bred in us from birth that "America is the best", we tend to go everywhere thinking we will teach everyone who is not American how to "do things right". Even being Christian.
Beware of the log in your own eye. Let's be critical of the sin in our lives so that as we go out into the world, we are taking nothing but the love and discernment of the Holy Spirit. Life is so short on this earth, let's be purposeful with our time, reading, praying, cleansing.
I know my heart is to "teach" believers. I want to show them that this faith needs to be lived out, but am I living out my faith? Have I removed the two trees growing out of my eyes before I start pointing fingers and "instructing" men and women "how to live as Christ has told us to"? Prayerfully, yes, I am, and have been going through massive tree extraction this year, in preparation for what exactly, I don't know, but this I do know, that as He has been holding me over the fire and cleansing me from the inside out, I have been more on fire, in my word, sensitive to His voice and compassionate for His people.
We aren't perfect, but Jesus is. And He has called us to get out of our comfort zones to go out into His world.
Let's be discerning of ourselves so that with pure hearts we can see and discern and teach and pray for and lift up those whom the Lord will place us among in our lives.
Prayer:
Jesus, we are simple sheep of yours, men and women of unclean lips, yet you have called us to a great calling. To go where others won't. To help the children and poor in this world. Lord, I know that through you we can do all things, and I pray that we do nothing through our own wicked hearts, but as David consulted you on every good decision he made, I pray we consult you even on the littlest things. Let us not be hyper or hypocritical, but let us be ever mindful of what you saved us from so that we might do good in the world. Grant us your discernment so that we cast not our pearls before swine but can instruct the wise that they might become wiser. Change our hearts oh God, let them ever be Holy consecrated unto thee.
Amen
Jesus continues his teaching of the multitudes with a warning. Judge not that you be judged. The Greek word here is Krino, which means to pronounce a final judgment - "those who act the part of judges or arbiters in matters of common life, or pass judgment on the deeds and words of others"
We know God is the final and righteous judge. Jesus isn't saying to not judge at all, we see many times in scripture where he calls us to judge, some more:
John 7:24: Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.
Luke 12:57: And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
Psalm 37:30: The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
Proverbs 31:9: Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Luke 17:3-4: Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.
And there are many many others. This is of course hypocritical judgment he's talking about. As we read on, he speaks of trying to remove a speck out of our brother's eye when we basically have a huge tree growing out of ours. This is hugely important, not just when we go on the mission field, but in every day life.
Examine yourselves. Remove the sin from your heart, from your mind, from your hands. And through the process of extraction, we will have better eyes to see and discern the sin of others.
There's a tendency as American Christians to think we know it all. We've got our churches, we read our bibles, we know the word, we listen to Hillsong, we do our "devos", so naturally, as with the mentality that is bred in us from birth that "America is the best", we tend to go everywhere thinking we will teach everyone who is not American how to "do things right". Even being Christian.
Beware of the log in your own eye. Let's be critical of the sin in our lives so that as we go out into the world, we are taking nothing but the love and discernment of the Holy Spirit. Life is so short on this earth, let's be purposeful with our time, reading, praying, cleansing.
I know my heart is to "teach" believers. I want to show them that this faith needs to be lived out, but am I living out my faith? Have I removed the two trees growing out of my eyes before I start pointing fingers and "instructing" men and women "how to live as Christ has told us to"? Prayerfully, yes, I am, and have been going through massive tree extraction this year, in preparation for what exactly, I don't know, but this I do know, that as He has been holding me over the fire and cleansing me from the inside out, I have been more on fire, in my word, sensitive to His voice and compassionate for His people.
We aren't perfect, but Jesus is. And He has called us to get out of our comfort zones to go out into His world.
Let's be discerning of ourselves so that with pure hearts we can see and discern and teach and pray for and lift up those whom the Lord will place us among in our lives.
Prayer:
Jesus, we are simple sheep of yours, men and women of unclean lips, yet you have called us to a great calling. To go where others won't. To help the children and poor in this world. Lord, I know that through you we can do all things, and I pray that we do nothing through our own wicked hearts, but as David consulted you on every good decision he made, I pray we consult you even on the littlest things. Let us not be hyper or hypocritical, but let us be ever mindful of what you saved us from so that we might do good in the world. Grant us your discernment so that we cast not our pearls before swine but can instruct the wise that they might become wiser. Change our hearts oh God, let them ever be Holy consecrated unto thee.
Amen
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