Matthew 7: 1-2 “Don’t criticise people, and you will not be criticised. For you will be judged by the way you criticise others, and the measure you give will be the measure you receive.” 3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and fail to notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye’, when there is a plank in your own? You fraud! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you can see clearly enough to remove your brother’s speck of dust.” (J.B. Phillips Translation)
Jesus grew up in the small town of Nazareth, and he probably drew his stories from real life. Here we have three different stories Let’s look at them and see what Jesus’ listeners were thinking as he told them.
SHEBA THE CRITIC Everybody in Nazareth knew Sheba! Sheba was the biggest gossip in town and was always visiting the neighbors, seeing what she could overhear! All the women knew that if Sheba came to the village well when they did, they had best keep quiet; otherwise, anything they said might be blown out of proportion and spread all over the village. And criticize! Sheba was a self – appointed expert on housekeeping, child rearing, you name it! So when Jesus mentioned those who judged, there were lots of sly looks at Sheba.
TWO MEASURES Ephraim sold rice in the market. For Ephraim’s friends, there was an accurate measure. But heaven help the stranger who bought from Ephraim! Somehow the measure for strangers was a lot smaller than the measure for friends. And then came the day that Ephraim used the wrong measure to sell rice to the servant of the richest man in town. Well! Everyone hoped that Ephraim learned his lesson!
THE SPECK OF SAWDUST AND THE PLANK Saul was the brightest scholar in the temple as well as being a handsome young man. Saul could always be found obnoxiously correcting someone on the proper religious laws, no matter how minute their infraction might have been. Then came the day that Saul was striding down the street while a local carpenter headed the opposite direction carrying a plank on his shoulder. The plank struck Saul in the eye, and it took weeks for his vision to recover.
Three different stories but the lesson is the same from each: If you judge, if you criticize, if you cheat – the law of the Kingdom of God is simple: the measure you give out is the measure you will receive.
PRAYER: Father, forgive us! So many times we have been quick to criticize or judge or to condemn. Help us to turn away from judging and criticizing. Please help us to give the same grace and mercy to others that we wish to receive ourselves. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.
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