January 10, 2012
Central Truth
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) This is the central truth, can't improve on it. Thanks, Jesus!
"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3)
1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
6 Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy 1 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
The maxim to not judge has wide appeal. This passage is a favorite of priests and pagans. The common application has often left me with the fragmented interpretation that my issues are huge, and the issues I see in others are small by comparison. Experience leads me to believe that this is not universally true. I'm not saying that my issues are small, but I do not think that Jesus was asking me to compare my bent towards the flesh vs. someone else's battle.
In studying this passage in context, I have come to a new conclusion. In my experience with specks in the eye, I have learned that I am first annoyed, then I am consumed, then I am asking for help. I could not function with a log in my eye. So what then? I abide. What I believe to be true about this passage is that Jesus was not asking me to believe that I have the biggest problem, the worst sin, the most stubborn habit. Jesus' teaching was that He has no expectation for me to save myself from my sin. He has done that. Second, He does not expect me to save my neighbor from theirs.
If someone has a speck in his eye, the only way I would know is if the person shared that information or was consumed by it. The only way I can help is for that person to initiate. From this passage, I am convinced that Jesus is saying we are best suited to help when we are working on ourselves. When our desire for ourselves is to abide in Him, He will convict us to help others abide in Him, too. The inherent self-righteousness that comes with being judgmental is the rub. We are inept when left to our own ability and perspective. When we authentically care about people with something in their eye, then relationships trump behavior. Ignoring sin is not the admonition. We are called not to focus on behavior, but to invite them into the same process of log maintenance that we are undergoing. So what's up?
1. How do I resist the urge to be proud instead of compassionate when others are wrestling with their splinters?
2. Am I willing to initiate so others may help me with my log?
3. Am I more compelled to help people up the mountain God has allowed me to climb or point out how far they have to go?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
MATTHEW 6-10 (JANUARY 9-13)
Read Matthew 6:25-34.
What is worry? What do you worry about?
What does God say about worry in these verses?
What things in nature does God tell us He takes care of?
How does He take care of them?
How does God take care of you?
Activity: Make tissue paper flowers. Go to this link and watch the video for directions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXNeVq2RxFU&feature=related
(Note: use a pipe cleaner instead of string to make a stem.)
Once you have completed your flowers. Cut out green leaves and write verse 34 on each leaf. Put these flowers where they will remind you that God will take care of you just like He takes care of the flowers.