Grains of Sand

Google Images Most of us have been told many times not to be judgmental. Often that warning comes with this quote from Matthew 7:1: “ Do not judge, or you too will be judged .” So we don’t say anything to anyone about anything. But in the context of this verse we get a different message. From verse 3 on, we read that Jesus said that we are to help our brothers and sisters to see what doesn’t glorify God in their lives, (which requires judgement) but only after we have examined our own lives. When we do that we might discover that our faults are bigger than the ones we are pointing out in them. “ Why do you look at at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your bother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 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 ” (7:3-5, emphasis ...

There is an interesting progression to Romans 14:10-13. Paul begins with a rebuke: " You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? " (14:10a). Oh but, it's so much easier to deal with the faults of others rather than our own. That brings us to Paul's uppercut to the chin. He writes: " For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God " (14:10b-12). The other guys will get their opportunity to turn red and stammer just like I'll get mine. So maybe I should occupy myself with my own failures? That's Paul's next suggestion: " Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another " (14:13a). But Paul makes yet another suggestion. As believers we don't live in a vacuum—you look after your business and I...