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As Christians, we have received that extraordinary mercy and forgiveness of God, and His grace and love through Jesus Christ, and we so need to remember that when we are faced with issues of judgment or areas where we have to exercise discipline, always being reminded that we are seeking to train disciples and many do not want training and discipline! They rise up and demonstrate how they remain rebels.

We are in Matthew Chapter 7, in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus gives us this parable of the speck of sawdust and the plank. Did Jesus recall this from His 18 years in the building trade?

The measures we use – the standards we apply – can find their way to challenging our lives – they can find us out easily enough.

God may be, will be, and is, more merciful than you or I could ever be – more forgiving – more understanding. This is all directed to disciples. Leave the judging to God. He may not judge, but forgive.

Judgement in the condemnatory sense is not at all helpful. Judgement does not always help those judged or those doing the judging.

Think of what cavalier wrecking could be done if I with a plank in my eye try to take out a speck of sawdust from your eye. Such behaviour wounds and hurts and can be so destructive.

A plank is made from the same material as the sawdust. What we see wrong in others could be the very thing that is so wrong in our own lives, and we may be so blind to it. The speck could have come from the plank.

You have to have very keen vision to see a speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye.

We may have major blind spots – of which we are unaware – but of which everyone else is aware. There can be areas of our lives where we have not let God in.

The man with a plank of wood in his eye would be totally blind, and yet here he is trying to take a splinter of dust out of someone else’s eye.

What is the answer? We fall before God and we ask for mercy. He is able to take out of our eye the plank or the speck of sawdust. And is the eye not one of the most sensitive parts of the body? If we are to confront or face someone, it is to be done with humility and understanding.

Jesus deals with this area later on in Matthew Chapter 18 verses 15 to 18. First there is an individual meeting or encounter – face to face – sort out the issue – without broadcasting it to others. If this fails, then we have to get some others involved. When we follow this procedure the group or community has the right to pronounce judgment or come to some decision – and the other side of all this is the possibility that judgment can be pronouncing that a person innocent or not guilty.

When it comes to pearls before swine we do have to make certain judgments. We do have to discriminate. We are entrusted with valuable pearls.

The word ‘dogs’ is used here. These were wild hounds that would be roaming the streets and scavenging on the rubbish tips. Pigs were unclean to the Jews, and also, pearls are hard to chew and tasteless and unable to satisfy their appetites. In a rage these animals would be likely to spit them out and turn on you and tear you to pieces.

John Calvin referred to the ‘hardened contempt for God’ which some people have.

Having been given the opportunity to respond to the Gospel some openly reject it. There comes that point where we should no longer persist. (Matthew 10 verse 14)

We cannot force the Gospel upon people, and neither should we waste our time with those who choose to mock and argue and ridicule. Acts 13:46,18:6.

Some times it is most loving to persist, at other times it is more loving to stop! Not easy!

Jesus does not say taking specks out is wrong – but first – first – comes the forgiveness and the mercy and the grace – so that we may be able to see clearly and so that we may have hands that can do delicate work – almost surgical work!

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

A Blessing. Being Blessed