October 3, 2025 -Specks, Logs, Judgement

MATTHEW 6:5-7:6

LUKE 6:37-42

MATTHEW 7:7-20

LUKE 6:43-45

MATTHEW 7:21-29

LUKE 6:46-49

Chronological Bible Readings

Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “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? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 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.

6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Everything in today's reading has brought something to mind making it difficult to pick any one thing but this struck me a little stronger than anything else today. People love to use the first verse "do not judge, or you too will be judged" as a way to justify their own life and choices and to tell people that it is not their place to say anything against them. But look at verse 2. "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you". What measure should we as Christians be using? The word of God. God judges us all in the end but while here on earth as a Christian we are to hold each other accountable to God's standard. That is the measure we are to use. Verses 3 & 4 tells us that these verses are about judging each other in the body of Christ as it verse 4 it says "brother". It also does not mean that we are not supposed to take the speck out of our brother or sisters eye but we are to properly evaluate ourselves by God's word (the measure) and remove the sin from our lives before we judge the sins of others. Verse 5 tells us that then and only then are we able to see clearly enough to say something to our brother or sister in Christ about their sin. Some time ago God had convinced me of the importance of examining myself and my motivations in a conflict (take the log out of my eye) before I speak to it. And recently He has brought to my attention that I need to be seeking God in decision making and when I don't, I can cause conflicts. I can see that as being the same as not taking the log out of my eye because I sin in those times.

Verse 6 above doesn't seem to fit this section. The below scripture follows Luke's version of take the log out of your own eye.

Luke 6:43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.