[1]“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. [2] For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
[3] And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? [4] How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? [5] Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. [6] Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. [7] Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”Matthew 7:1-7
pay attention to details; she’s way too picky. I am a person of conviction; he is just plain stubborn. In these and a host of other ways, we justify our own behavior while condemning the same actions in others.
In this reading, Jesus’ sermon continues with a rebuke for those who spend more time pointing out others’ moral shortcomings than correcting their own. Using the vivid imagery of boards and specks in the eye, Jesus explains how to fix the problem.
Other solutions can also be found in this passage. As you read, look for lessons on asking and faith building, as well as directions to heaven.
Jesus told his disciples to be careful how they criticized others (Matthew 7:1-2). He said that to criticize and judge is like trying to extract a splinter from someone else’s eye when you’ve got a piece of lumber in your own (7:3-6). If you want to help your friend get the splinter out, fine, but first get the board out of yours.
We tend to judge others much more harshly than we judge ourselves. Therefore, we need to be careful how severely we speak to others when we spot their defects.
If you find fault with someone else, first stop and ask whether or not you have the same problem. Don’t deny or cover up your own faults. Don’t be self-righteous in condemning others. Be as sensitive in dealing with others’ faults as you would wish them to be with you.
This is an excerpt from: The One Year Through the Bible
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