7-8-2020

Good Morning All, 

  Matthew 7:3; “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

    Since the covid outbreak, our church has been using Facebook quite a bit to offer devotional material and then broadcast Sunday morning worship services.  So now, I spend more time on Facebook than I used to spend.  Some things are funny (I like the puns); some are lame (the two women arguing with that cat have got to go!); some are endearing (grandchildren catching their first fish); some are revolting (attacking other people); and some are intriguing.  I have been intrigued by a post that is currently making the rounds.  It is addressing the racial struggle.  It says something like this: “It is not the skin but the sin; it is not the race but the need for grace; Jesus died for all.”

    Now, at first glance, you would think a preacher would like this.  Well, sort of like it anyway.  The issue is that all too often, when people like to lament “sin in the world”; it is other people’s sin.  The other guy needs to repent and change.  The other guy is wrong and needs to amend his ways and make the changes necessary for us to move forward.  That is how the devil wants us to think and all too often, we oblige him and do just that and we remain in our sinful cycle and brokenness continues, pain continues, suffering continues and justice continues to be ignored.

   Our verse is part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is teaching his disciples (that includes us) about judging others.  Notice how he compares our brother’s sin (speck in the eye) to our sin (log in our eye).  Without pulling any punches, Jesus is telling us that when relationships are hurting, when injustice is occurring, when pain and suffering are occurring; do not expect your neighbor to repent, rather, you repent.  So if I was to rewrite our saying it would be, “It is not the skin but MY sin, it is not the race but MY need for grace; Jesus died for all, including me, the worst of all.”

    True healing among human relations will never occur unless everyone involved repents of their own sin with regards to the fracture.  We are all sinners and we are all at fault.  My attitude, my comments, my lack of concern, compassion and care contribute to the debacle.  It is rarely, almost never, that one person or group of people is completely at fault.  There is always enough sin to go around, yours and mine.

    This is why any successful reconciliation requires confession of sins and forgiveness of sins by both parties.  This is the only way that it succeeds.  All forgiveness originates with Jesus, he is the source of all our loving capacity.  So, as you look at the world today and wonder what is going on; stop and repent; confess your selfishness, your judgmental attitude, your lack of compassion or whatever else you have.  The problem in the world is always sin: MY sin for which Jesus died to repay and forgive.

Gracious Father, I have sinned, and it is my fault, my own fault, my own grievous fault.  Forgive me and give me Your Spirit that I may be your servant and that I may be faithful until death or the return of Jesus.  In His name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret