THE KINGDOM AND JESUS' EXHORTATION - RESPONSIBILITIES TO OURSELVES

Text: Matthew 7:3-5 (CSB) – “Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.”

We are continuing our study of the Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Matthew. Now we are looking at the topic of the Kingdom and Jesus’ Exhortations. An exhortation is an utterance, discourse, or address conveying urgent advice or recommendation. It is a speech or written passage intended to persuade, inspire, or encourage.

Jesus is in this passage is giving us 5 responsibilities that we have and is seeking to persuade and encourage us to live in this fashion. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount continually brings us back to our motives over our actions. We must understand that in the Kingdom, God looks at the heart, not the outward designs. He looks at the motives more than the actions.,

Yesterday we focused on our responsibility to the SAVED. Today, let us muse over our Responsibility to OURSELVES.

We saw yesterday that Jesus told us not to harshly judge other believers. Now, in the next breath, He tells us that we are to harshly judge ourselves. What’s the difference? Well, because we often judge in the wrong way. He is the Judge and He makes the call on those other believers. We are consistently taught in the Scriptures to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) because we only know our inner selves.

I often told the Middle School Bible Class the first day – I knew of only one person in the room who is saved. And, that was me. Oh, I told them that I knew their words and actions, but I did not know their hearts. That is true for all of us. So, Jesus teaches that we are to harshly judge ourselves.

He uses contrast to get His point across. I feel this is a vivid picture coming from a Carpenter’s Son. He warns that we are too concerned with the splinter in other’s eyes. The Greek word carries the idea of a speck or dust. We are quick to point out that which others are doing. We compare ourselves to others and judge them. Jesus says we try to remove the speck of dust from someone’s eye, while we are carrying around a beam in our eye. The Greek word used means that large piece that holds up the other pieces.  It is like conducting delicate eye surgery while wearing a mask. He is using Hyperbole, which is extreme contrast.

We ignore the sin and actions of ourselves while we are seeking to pronounce judgment on others. The only one who can pronounce judgment is One without sin. And, we know that that is Jesus. So, instead of watching and criticizing others, we need to pay attention to our own selves. We are not responsible to judge others, but, we are to judge ourselves – and take corrective action.

Today, spend some time alone with the Master and let Him reveal the “beams” in our own eyes. And then, let us work on correcting the situation.