Luke 6:39-49
39He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.
43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
46"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you? 47I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house."
2 comments:
Hypocrisy is one of the major complaints of the non churched anti Christian movement. One of the ways to wrestle with their thought is to admit that we are all sinners and saints at the same time. Acknowledge that we are not perfect, not better than anyone else. But, instead we find it helpful to know we don't have to be perfect to be loved by God and that our salvation has already been secured by our belief.
This way the burden for bringing people to Christ does not come from our own behavior but from God's redeeming love and the Christ like behavior for which we strive. Phew! Cause God knows I'm still working on a lot of that.
I'm with you, Jill! :)
A thought that comes to mind when I read this passage is this:
But how can I take the log out of my own eye when it is blinding me so that I can't even see it myself?
This is where being part of a body of believers comes in. By being willing to open up and trust others to speak the truth in love, those around me that love me can help me see and remove all my logs.
Hebrews 2:12-13 says:
Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
(Webster's def.) Exhort - to encourage, to embolden, to cheer, to advise. The primary sense seems to be to excite, or to give strength, spirit or courage.
I am grateful that we have each other!
Post a Comment