January 16, 2025 | Be God's Family
Go to the Mirror!
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-14(NIV)
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “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.
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Devotional
Every year, the 3rd grade elementary classes from all the HSE elementary schools take a field trip to the City Municipal Complex to learn about city government, and I make a quick presentation on the role of the City Court. It’s interesting what questions I get from 3rd graders. One Friday, each group asked, “How old are you?” However, the following Friday, each group had a much more challenging question: “What happens if you get in trouble?” Good question.
We are all inherently judgmental of others. We criticize others for their shortcomings and ignore our own. I believe this stems from our desire to be pleasing to God, but we are conflicted by the knowledge that we fall short of His Glory. So, we seek justification; we will always find someone “worse” than us and use that as rationalization for why we continue to accept sin in our lives. People like to say, “Jesus is Love,” and indeed He does love us. But if there is one thing He despises, it is spiritual hypocrisy.
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told the parable of the two men in prayer; one a sinner who repented his sins, the other the Pharisee who basically said, “I’m glad I’m not a sinner like that guy.” Or the story of the adulterous woman in John 8:7, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” We have been commanded to help each other grow in Christ, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29; “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” But in doing that, we need to be mindful of our own shortcomings.
My contact lenses often get dust or debris which can be uncomfortable and irritating. Sometimes it feels like a plank in my eye. But I can’t take my contacts out and clean them unless I have a mirror. It’s the same with the spiritual planks in our own eyes. If you want to remove them, go to the mirror, and take a good look at what you need to remove.
Poem
Fully Blameless And Pure
Psalm 119:1-8
Fully blameless and pure may I be before You
Logs removed, specks washed out of my eyes
Seeking first who You are and what’s precious to You
Knowing truth, flee from what is despised
May Your precepts my pearls be, Your ways be obeyed
A child, Yours, requesting true food
Your generous gifting—A heart filled with praise
A loving pure soul which is good
