Day 9 | Luke 6:37-42
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. “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, ‘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? 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.
Luke 6:37-42 (NIV)
For Reflection:
Over the past 5 days, we have been praying through passages that guide us in forming and engaging in authentic, life-giving relationships in Christian community. Today, Jesus illuminates how we notice, think about, and engage with one another as we journey and grow in community together. In His tell-and-show way, Jesus challenges our natural, human tendency to judge others; to clearly see others’ faults and shortcomings and passing judgment, while readily looking past our own. Ouch. Do I? Pause and let Jesus bring specific examples to light.
He reminds us that true love does not judge others or withhold forgiveness. Jesus sees that when we are judging, we elevate ourselves and fail to reconcile our own thoughts and behaviors. We no longer see and love others as He sees and loves them – and us.
Is He saying not to pay attention to right and wrong? No. He is challenging us to look first at ourselves, then with humility and compassion, we can more lovingly support one another from a place that acknowledges our shared need for the grace, guidance, forgiveness and love Jesus so freely offers. Grace upon grace: “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17).
Jesus shows us how to live in life-giving relationships, in Community, growing alongside one another, encouraging one another. He guides us to live as His disciples, not like Pharisees—who were so quick to judge and condemn, elevating themselves over the people God had called them to help draw near to Him; shaming them away instead. In love, Jesus takes the compassion and love we offer each other and multiplies and returns it to us. A generous promise. I reflect on my attitudes, words, and actions toward the people around me, in His church and our world. I open my heart and mind to what He observes and reveals to me.
Let Us Pray:
Lord, I thank you for your love, grace, presence, and word for us. Would you guide me? Help me, help us as your children to connect and engage with one another in community—to do this with compassion, kindness, grace, humility, and patience in You as you demonstrated and still teach us, as you dwelt among us and dwell in us. Gracious God, would you help me cultivate relationships bound by love, to share in the joys and burdens we all experience. May we encourage one another in You, your life-giving Word and love, praying, bearing with, and forgiving one another…making peace as we go. Would You help us to love and see clearly, to work toward unity and wholeness in Your body, through the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus, as we grow together in relationship with one another and with You, learning together from You and your word and collectively with each another, may we grow to be more and more like You--our teacher, our love, our Lord. In Your holy and precious name, I pray. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder what “log” is in my eye as I notice a small speck in someone else’s?
Who am I listening to above Jesus, and am I moving toward God or away?
Are my words and actions toward others life-giving? Do they draw people closer to Jesus or push them away?
I wonder what Jesus sees when He looks at me?