May 21,
2003
YOUR
BROTHER'S EYE, Part I
"Why
do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not
consider the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3, NKJV).
"Even
the sentence, 'You that judge do the same things,' does not
reach the magnitude of his sin who presumes to criticize and
condemn his brother. Jesus said, 'Why
do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not
consider the plank in your own eye?' (Matthew 7:3).
"His
words describe one who is swift to discern a defect in others.
When he thinks he has detected a flaw in the character or
the life he is exceedingly zealous in trying to point it out;
but Jesus declares that the very trait of Character developed
in doing this un-Christlike work, is, in comparison with the
fault criticized, as a beam (speck) in proportion to a mote
(plank). It is one's own lack of the spirit of forbearance
and love that leads him to make a world of an atom. Those
who have never experienced the contrition of an entire surrender
to Christ do not in their life make manifest the softening
influence of the Saviour's love. They misrepresent the gentle,
courteous spirit of the gospel and wound precious souls, for
whom Christ died. According to the figure that our Saviour
uses, he who indulges a censorious spirit is guilty of greater
sin than is the one he accuses, for he not only commits the
same sin, but adds to it conceit and censoriousness.
"Christ
is the only true standard of character, and he who sets himself
up as a standard for others is putting himself in the place
of Christ. And since the Father 'has
committed all judgment to the Son' (John 5:22), whoever
presumes to judge the motives of others is again usurping
the prerogatives of the Son of God. These would-be judges
and critics are placing themselves on the side of antichrist,
'who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God
or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple
of God, showing himself that he is God' (2 Thessalonians 2:4)."--Thoughts
From The Mount Of Blessing, pp., 125, 126.
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