Principles 4

Matthew 7;1-6

Jesus Teaches about Criticzing Others

" Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look for a speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, ' let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a a plank in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you'll see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers eye.

"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 then turn and tear you to pieces.

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I have to be completely honest what comes to my mind when I read this scripture, is the three stodges building corrals with chain saw's, and afterward administrating first aid with the same tools they first got hurt by. Curly trying to stand deathly still, While Moe waves a 65L huskavirna around his head, yelling at curly " Stay still you nuckle head I almost got the sliver out!" And Larry getting clothes lined by the 2x6 sticking out of moos eye socket.! It's a dangerous picture. But really in a lot of ways not to far off most of the work sites I've been on.

I'm pretty sure that Jesus never intended this to be a work place safety lecture. What he was meaning and I'm more then guilty of this , don't judge others. Brings to mind something that Alvin had told me. "It's sometimes more important to error on the side of grace then to be right" When he told me that, I'm not sure what we where talking about, but it was almost a riddle for awhile, How can that be? Your either right or your wrong there is no grey areas in correctness is there? Well there is, sometimes people need to figure out there wrong on there own.

Jesus tells us to examine our own motives and conduct rather then judge. The traits that bother us most in others are often habits we don't like in are selves. Our untamed bad habits in ourselves and behavior problems are the one we often want to change in ourselves. If your ready to criticize someone else first try and judge yourself, do you deserve the same criticism? Judge yourself first, and then lovingly forgive and help your neighbor.

Jesus's statement," do not judge " is against the kind of hypocritical, judgment attitude that tears down others in order to make the other feel good. Yes we need to judge but in a discerning way rather then a negative way.