Matthew 7:1-5 | Psalm 25:8-11
New week. New chapter. Same sermon on the mountain.
(Of course, Jesus wasn’t using chapters. Neither was the writer of the gospel of Matthew. But some copy-writer sometime, somewhere inserted these chapter and verse numbers to be helpful in knowing where we’re at in the text.)
Anyway, you might think of this passage as the same good advice as when putting on your airplane emergency oxygen mask. Similar philosophy, really: you’re no good in trying to set someone else right unless you have the vision to see through your own stuff.
But actually, in the context of Jesus’ main topic (judgment), it’s not so much about getting to the point of “helping” someone else as it is: “Dude…you need to judge people less.” Specks in other peoples’ eyes need to be taken care of. But maybe not by you.
Jesus is actually concerned about the massive thing blocking your own vision, not so that you can fix the other person, but so that you yourself can get the help you need.
Matthew 7:1-5
“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye.”
Psalm 25:8-11
The Lord is good and does the right thing;
he teaches sinners which way they should go.
God guides the weak to justice,
teaching them his way.
All the Lord’s paths are loving and faithful
for those who keep his covenant and laws.
Please, for the sake of your good name, Lord, forgive my sins, which are many!
Prayer
God,
Help me to see others with eyes of forgiveness, which is to have the grace and compassion that you so freely give. The problem is, Lord, that other people can annoy me, frustrate me, and even anger me. It’s just so natural to tell them what’s up. Frankly, it seems like your justice calls for it. But help me to know the difference between standing up for truth and shutting others down.
Deep inside, I do know that there is stuff in my own life that keeps me from seeing what your justice is more clearly. So help me with my stuff.
By your Spirit & in Christ, Amen.