20th November 2024

20th November 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 7:1-6 focus v2-5)


Message (Alan Burke)


There was one part of my primary degree that I hated above all else, now I should state that I enjoyed my primary degree in the main except for when I had to do reflective practice. The wikipedia explanation of what reflective practice is as follows: “Reflective practice is the ability to reflect on one's actions so as to take a critical stance or attitude towards one's own practice and that of one's peers, engaging in a process of continuous adaptation and learning.” I didn’t really enjoy reflecting, taking a critical stance or attitude towards my own practice and especially writing about it. I had to do it though. Then when I went to Union to train as a minister there was more reflective practice and by then I was much more adapt at the process. 


It is hard to reflect on ourselves, to take a step back and reflect on our actions, taking a critical stance or attitude towards what we do never mind how we are, yet Jesus is making that point here, the need for reflective practice, self examination. In doing that he uses a speck of sawdust in the eye compared to a plank. What Jesus is doing here is using a hyperbole, that is an exaggerated statement to make his point. What Jesus is referring to by both the speck of sawdust and the plank is sin. Let’s not forget that all sin is equally damming although not equally heinous.


So here Jesus gives us a word picture, a parable about the speck in your brother’s eye which is relatively small in comparison to the sin of yourself, that's what the plank portrays to us. A spec is relatively small, a plank on the other hand is a big thing. Jesus has already made it clear abundantly to us just how short we fall all of us are murders and adulterers, there is not one of us who kept the law, we've left it in shatters, before we judge others, evaluate, discern then to decide first we should examine our self. If you have difficulty doing that ask a brother or sister, ask one of the elders, there are many respectable sins, especially in the church, gossip is probably one of the besetting sins there is nothing quite like Christians for gossip, what about gluttony, what about worry, grumbling, overworking? There could be many more things added to that list. Often we don’t see these things as a problem. 


If you have first judged yourself, evaluated, discerned and decided how you are doing in your walk with the Lord, if you have then overcome a plank that was in your own eye, if you have had the victory over that sin in your life then you are qualified to help someone who is a speck in their own eye. Only when we have come to genuine repentance when we judge others correctly, evaluate others correctly, because we have come to know the depths of sin in our heart. Our sin is something that should concern us, and if it is and you need help, help to see what needs addressed, you need help to battle that sin then come, chat that through, be willing to ask because we should take our won sin seriously. Jesus here isn’t forbidding judging, he isn’t saying try to help someone who has a problem, but when there is hypocrisy first address your own sin.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q 40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.
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