Luke 6:37-49
Judging Others
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, 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."
39He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How 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.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
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There's so much stuff here that has been quoted and used by Christians and non-Christians alike for so many years, it's hard to even know where to start.
So I'm going to let this passage sit here, without any commentary from me, for a few days before I say anything about it. Perhaps some others will comment on the passage first...
posted by FTN @ 11:08 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Interesting that this passage would come up now.
Re 'The Log and the Speck', that's most of how I took XH's recent comments on his 'Disfunction' post - there are certainly things that I can do to make things better before I start asking my wife to make changes. And, of course, it has many, much broader applications than that. Point being, it's way easier to find fault with others, even if we call it 'constructive criticism', than it is to change ourselves. And our own faults are not only easier for us to do something about than someone else's faults, but they are likely enough to be more serious than the faults we see in others. . .
Chesterton once said that a man is meant to be certain of the Truth, and doubt himself, but in the age we live in, it gets reversed. In an analogous way, we're meant to be strict with ourselves and gracious toward others, and there is a strong tendency in the opposite direction these days. . .
Re the 'Houses Built on Sand/Rock', I'm impressed by what the Lord says about the one who "hears my words and puts them into practice". We've all heard the kids' song about this, that draws the conclusion, "So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ." And, Amen - that's true; good advice. But what the Lord is saying here is that we need do do what He says. He's not asking here for a profession of faith, He's asking for obedience - for us to live our lives according to His words. Which is a much different, and more comprehensive, thing than simply professing faith in Christ, massively important as that is. . .
6:37-38 -- I've heard these two verses used so many times in regard to giving it almost makes me sick. Sick because it's not at all what Jesus was talking about! Sure there is a Truth in reaping and sowing, but His subject here is judgment. If we judge others or are critical of them, we will receive that same judgment and/or criticism in "good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over."
Strict with ourselves and gracious towards others. I think that's a good way to put it. Jesus asks us to be people of giving, and people of forgiveness.
Of course, in the context of the entire gospel message, that doesn't mean "Don't have an opinion on anything or be willing to speak the truth." And many people who've never picked up a Bible will recite this passage when they don't like what a Christian says. And that's because Christians are so busy "correcting" everyone else (people who aren't Christians) that they don't stop to correct themselves, and their brothers. And correcting our brothers and sisters IS a Biblical concept, when appropriate.
6:
6:39-40 -- Here Jesus is showing us that no one is any better than another; we are all stumbling through. But if we follow His teachings we will become like Him. And really, in this life, that is our goal so that others will come to know Christ through our lives.
6:41-42 -- I agree with Desmond that these two verses deal with making sure we've got ourselves in line before we start trying to change someone else. But I also believe it goes along with what Jesus was talking about early in regards to judging. We can't judge the way others are living or their actions when our own lives are a mess. We have to continually humble ourselves before the Lord, asking for grace, mercy and forgiveness.
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