The Funniest Thing Jesus Said

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
- Matthew 7:1-7, NIV

I think this is the funniest thing Jesus said. Can you imagine someone walking around with a telephone pole sticking out of their eye? Jesus did, and he likely laughed when He told the story.

This week, my two lovely daughters were arguing over petty things. I brought out my bible and asked them to read this passage. Just six little verses. Then I asked them what it meant.

"If there is a log in your eye, you won't be able to reach the person with the speck. How can you take it out?"

I gotta say - that answer caught me off guard. But it did (kinda-sorta) drive my point home. "If you can't help them with their speck because of your own log, what should you do?"

"Well, you have to take the log out of your eye first, I guess."

It was all I could do not to shout out for joy.

I went on to explain how their situation that night lined up with this story. It's been stuck in my head for the last few days and I have found a heckuva lot of logs in my own eyes. For example:

• As I finally passed someone who refused to let me into their lane even though my blinker was on, I inadvertently blocked someone who had their blinker on.
• As I ranted about another's stupidity, I committed a stupid act that cost me an hours' work.
• As I chastised my daughters for not cleaning their room, they pointed out my shoes and jacket which were not put away.

Yeah, everything that comes around goes around. "...with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Matthew 7:2, NIV

Adios,
Clay

(äd-s) [Spanish adiós, probably translated from French à dieu. (I commend you) to God  : a, to (from Latin ad. See ad-) + Dieu, God (from Latin deus. See dyeu- in Indo-European Roots).]