Reading: Luke 6:37-45
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
What a challenging passage to read today!
Once again, Jesus shows us a lifestyle totally opposite to what we would naturally consider. And is it that the citizens of His Kingdom are not from this world!
Jesus makes us look inward, inwardly. Towards what really needs to be transformed. A deep and sincere look at ourselves will allow us to have a more compassionate and forgiving look at others.
Letting the Lord look at us and allowing us to examine ourselves opens our eyes. If we are not willing to look into our own need we are blind. Isn’t that the Gospel? To look at ourselves, to see our insufficiency, and then to look to Jesus to see that He is the “all in all.
Looking to Jesus makes us see ourselves, and others, in a whole new way, full of mercy and generosity. And that can only come from a heart that has been deeply transformed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
MEDITATE: How do we look at ourselves, and at others?
