I have a busy day ahead of me. We, Papa and I, are putting our 80 acres up for sale, and I am gunna hop on the tractor and bush hog some of the taller grass. I normally mow it with my Bad Boy Zero turn, but with my bad back, I try not to be on the mower any longer than possible.
Here in the house this morning, it is quiet, sorta... the dishwasher is running, so it's not that quiet, but the dishwasher is a nice familiar sound, so I am OK with it. I wanted to use this quiet time to talk about something I had mentioned in a previous blog: the Rafter in the Eye.
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| Rafter vs Straw in the eye photo from: ink361.com |
Quick question, do you know what Jesus was talking about when he mentioned the Rafter in the Eye? Let's read it together at Luke 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, allow me to remove the straw that is in your eye,’ while you yourself do not see the rafter in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the straw that is in your brother’s eye. When I first read that scripture, many many years ago, I thought 'Wow, that's harsh, calling 'em a Hypocrite!' But then...
Does anyone remember when and where Jesus was when he uttered the above words. Most of you will be familiar with the setting, it was Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. - MATTHEW 5:1–7:29 LUKE 6:17-49 A lot of wisdom packed into 3 chapters. Wisdom, that when applied, has benefited countless people.
So how does that apply to you and me? Glad you asked... The following information is taken in part from the book: Jesus—The Way, the Truth, the Life - HOW TO GAIN LIFE
The apostles and other sincere ones want to live in a way that pleases God, but that is not easy in their circumstances. Many Pharisees, for example, are critical, harshly judging others. (And couldn't that be said of ourselves sometimes?) So Jesus admonishes his listeners: “Stop judging that you may not be judged; for with the judgment you are judging, you will be judged.”—Matthew 7:1, 2.
It is dangerous to follow the lead of the overly critical Pharisees, as Jesus illustrates: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Both will fall into a pit, will they not?” Then how should Jesus’ listeners view others? Not with a critical eye, because that would be a serious offense. (And really, I don't want people dealing harshly with me, judging this imperfect person, picking out the flaws, so I should not do it to others. After all, that would be a serious offense.) Jesus asks: “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, allow me to remove the straw that is in your eye,’ while you yourself do not see the rafter in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the straw that is in your brother’s eye.”—Luke 6:39-42.
(see also)
How did Jesus show that it is wrong to be overcritical? On the subject of being overcritical, please recall:
...that in order to indicate how wrong it is to be overcritical, Jesus asked: “Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the rafter in you own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to extract the straw from your eye’; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye?” (Matt. 7:3, 4) A person inclined to criticize another individual takes note of a minor defect in his brother’s “eye.” The critic is suggesting that his brother has impaired perception and poor judgment. Though the fault is minor
(see also)
Stop Judging!
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| photo from: Google search |
So how can we, you and I, apply Jesus' words about judging? We (you and I) should not presume to offer to extract a mere “straw” from our brother’s eye to help him when our own ability to render proper judgment is impaired by a figurative “rafter.” In fact, if we really appreciate how merciful God is, we will not be inclined to judge our spiritual brothers and sisters (or anyone else, for that matter). How could we possibly understand them as well as our heavenly Father does? After all, it is Jehovah that reads the heart. He is the one, the only one, who knows what is in our hearts (yours and mine.) No wonder Jesus warned us to ‘stop judging that we may not be judged’! (We are totally under qualified to judge our fellow man or woman, and under qualified to quote scriptures at them to help them see the "straw" in their eye.) An honest appraisal of our own imperfections ought to hold us back from making judgments that God would consider unrighteous. (Yep, I'm unique, just like everyone else, imperfect! Bummer, dude!)
So in conclusion, with regards to myself, don't judge me: Romans 14:10
But why do you judge your brother?
Or why do you also look down on your brother?
For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Also, with regards to myself, don't judge others:Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge the servant of another?
To his own master he stands or falls.
Indeed, he will be made to stand,
for Jehovah can make him stand.
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| In the end, who is the Ultimate Judge? |
So, in conclusion, with regards to you and me:
Romans 14:8
For if we live, we live to Jehovah,
and if we die, we die to Jehovah.
So both if we live and if we die,
we belong to Jehovah.
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This is what I just posted on Twitter:
We 4get sometimes we r not #qualified 2 #Judge others #Bible #Wisdom #humble #thinkpositive
And this is my Facebook post:
Monday, May 9
Who are you to be judging your neighbor?—Jas. 4:12. Humility restrains us from overstepping our authority. If we recognize that we are not authorized to sit in judgment, we will not be quick to criticize others for their faults or question their motives...
(Hey, today's daily text reminds me of the importance of not judging others, and it goes along nicely with a blog I'm writing - "There's a rafter in my eye. What's in your?")
Now it's your turn. How do you feel about being judged?
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