First, acknowledge your own ‘blind spots’ and deal with them, and then you’ll be capable of dealing with the ‘blind spot’ of your friend. Matthew 7:5 (TPT)
Blind Spots– Sermon on the Mount Series – Part 12
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10 | PART 11 | PART 12 | PART 13 | PART 14
“Don’t judge people, and you won’t be judged yourself. You’ll be judged, you see, by the judgment you use to judge others! You’ll be measured by the measuring-rod you use to measure others! Why do you stare at the splinter in your neighbor’s eye, but ignore the plank in your own? How can you say to your neighbor, ‘here – let me get that splinter out of your eye,’ when you’ve got the plank in your own. You’re just play-acting! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you’ll see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your neighbor’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5 (N.T. Wright’s “The Kingdom New Testament Translation”).
PRACTICE: FIRST REMOVE OUR OWN PLANKS.
What blinds us is often what bothers us about others. At Calvary, we learn how wrong our judgments can be: we killed God. Seeing our own sin is honestly a great source of humility. How quickly, while looking at the sin of others, do we forget that no one is righteous, especially not us!
Yet Our Lord doesn’t teach, “Everyone’s got stuff so just tolerate each other’s hypocrisy.” No, love is more demanding than that.
We are commanded to remove our “planks” that lock us into condemnation of others so that as repentant sinners who are forgiven, we can approach other broken people in humble love.
Removing our blind spots is an ongoing work of repentance. So, run to Calvary! There, overwhelmed by God’s grace, you can THEN invite others to join you in God’s mercy.
What we don’t confess God can’t transform. And the humility to speak into the vulnerability of others flows out of our own need for God’s mercy. Our Lord commands we are first to remove the planks that blind us. THEN we can be of help to our sisters and brothers with their smaller specks.
Do you make a practice of praying “God show me my planks”? How much can this change your approach to your sisters and brothers?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are the Light that is God’s judgment, let our planks come into the Light that we might be a people of humility, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Amen.
Contributed and Written by: Jarrod McKenna
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Twitter: @jarrodmckenna
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Go to Part 13 – Good Gifts »
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