Have you ever noticed how quick we are to point out the sins of others, while conveniently ignoring our own? Jesus compares that to a huge plank jutting out of our eye while we fixate on the tiny speck in someone else’s. He calls us to deal honestly with our own sin first, inviting Him to expose and remove our blind spots. Only then will we see clearly enough to help another person. After all, when we stumble, we long for grace, not harsh judgment, so Jesus urges us to treat those who have fallen with that same generous measure. Are you wiling to lay down the gavel and show grace instead?
The Danger of Dead Religion
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Jesus enters Jerusalem a few days before His crucifixion and examines the spiritual condition of the people. What He finds is a nation bustling with outward displays of religious activity, but beneath the surface, there is nothing but dead religion. He curses a fruitless fig tree as a sign of judgement against them, and then He throws the corrupt money changers out of the Temple for defiling His Father’s house. If Jesus were to examine our lives today, would He see a cold, dead heart beneath the outward religious appearance, or would He find fruit growing for His glory?
