Today’s Reading: Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 6:37-42
Have you ever noticed at sporting events how we sometimes yell the obvious? To the pitcher, we yell, “Get this guy out!” The football team will be seven points behind and someone will yell, “We need a touchdown!” Probably most of what we yell from the sidelines is already the goal of the players on the field. What they need from us is encouragement – “You can do it!” or “We believe in you!”
I am reminded of this kind of game-time cheering as I read through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. How often do we see the situation someone else is in and wonder why they are not doing something to get themselves out? Why is it that we come up with solutions to other people’s problems so much easier than we come up with solutions to our own?
Words are powerful and can make a huge difference in someone’s life, positive and negative. How we choose to use the power of speech can improve someone’s experience or weigh them down with discouragement. When it is someone else who has gotten themselves into a situation, the solution seems so easy and obvious; yet they do not need us to yell the obvious from the sidelines. They are well aware of the situation they are in. They need you to either encouragement them or put on a uniform and get in the game!
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your own eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” – Matthew 7:1-5
Jesus is NOT saying that we shouldn’t help each other; that we should only worry about ourselves. No, he is commanding us to stop judging others for the help that they need. We need to first examine our own situations. When we do this, we will most likely see that we too are not perfect. We make mistakes and get ourselves into situations we should not be in, just like others around us.
We need to reach out and help those around us, loving them the way we would want to be loved (there’s that Golden Rule again). Jesus is not saying to ignore those who are struggling with situations or temptations. Jesus wants us to reach out in love to one another, not sit in judgment of each other.
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. – Matthew 7:6
As we walk this faith journey, it helps to have friends in our lives who help keep us accountable; it helps to have a friend point out our bad attitude or give us advice on the decisions we are making. Sometimes we intentionally give someone permission to point out sin in our life, but that does not give us permission to point out sin in the lives of unbelievers. In fact, we shouldn’t be surprised when sinners sin. Until they choose to let God do a transforming work in their heart, they will continue to produce sin from their sinful heart.
“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” – Luke 6:43-45
What we say to others or about other people FLOWS FROM WHAT IS IN OUR HEART. A good person produces good things from their heart; an evil person produces evil things. This is good to remember next time I am in the mood to gossip or to say something critical about someone else. Let’s use our words to make a positive difference in someone else’s day.
Lord, please forgive me for the evil things that have spilled out of my mouth. Forgive me for my criticism of others. Forgive me for my gossiping tongue. Lord, my desire is to help others. Please take this log out of my own eye so that I can reach out to others with a pure heart and put LOVE ON DISPLAY. Amen.