Log In Your Eye!

For Wednesday, February 8, 2023:

Matthew 7:3-5 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?”

v4 “How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?” Jesus was fed up with those who wanted to tell others how to live, when they themselves were ignoring many of the Lord’s commandments.

Jesus is specifically dissing the Pharisees, whose mission had devolved into the judgment of others. They were blind to their obvious faults. Pharisees would pontificate over the laws they chose to observe, and bypass ones about kindness, mercy and loving their neighbors. Apparently the log in their own eye was larger that the speck in their neighbor’s eye! Jesus knew!

Note that Jesus didn’t say that it was wrong for us to help our friend with the speck in his eye. It is good to help and encourage your friends, but not before dealing with the logs in your own lives.

v5 “Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship