Luke 6:37-42

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay not attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

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As I was reading this…I was judging others. It made me realize…Jesus is the only one who could teach this principal. He’s the only one with the authority to judge. The rest of us…we have planks we need to take care of. I do think it’s important that we help a brother or sister who is struggling…but there’s a difference between helping in love and judging. If I’m honest…I was thinking of judgmental people as Jesus was trying to point out my own plank. I think for many of us, myself included, we need to humble ourselves and realize our own faults. Maybe then we can begin to approach others with more love and grace.

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