Daily Blast - The Book of Matthew: Chapter 7
Scripture
“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?”
Reflection
This first section of today’s passage (verses 1-6, specifically verse 3) speaks very bluntly and has a poignant message. Here Jesus is asking people to reflect upon their past, present, and future actions. He is calling people to look at themselves, questioning the authority that sometimes we seem to embellish ourselves with. Simply put, Jesus speaks this passage to get people to recognise their own hypocrisy and it is a passage that I sometimes need to remind myself of. How could I judge someone for one thing whilst I am doing something ten times worse? Why should I expect others to be perfect in every aspect of their lives whilst my own life is filled with imperfections? Am I a worthy judge? No. Only God has the authority to judge others. However, this does not mean that we should sit back, relax, and watch everyone around us be coated in “speck[‘s] of sawdust” (7:3). In Hebrews 10:24-25, we are called to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds”. A few months ago at church, an analogy was used of a river filled with rocks tumbling together as the current moves them. Together the rocks would rub together, so all the hard, rough edges would be worn away, leaving each one smooth. So how does this relate to judging others? Well, instead of judging others and casting down our disapproval we should be accepting and working together as a unit to make each one of us stronger and better.
In verses 7-12, Jesus draws a comparison between a man who goes out of his way to cause harm and misery to his child and a man that provides “good gifts” to his children when they ask. Here, Jesus is drawing attention to the fact that God is like the second man; a father who provides bountifully for children when they ask. The emphasis here is on the fact that God, our loving Father, has all that we could ever ask for and all we need do is ask Him for them. As Paul mentioned on Sunday, God’s love (and also riches) is like a waterfall that is forever flowing. God will not suddenly hide these things from you, but it is up to you to seek them.
The final verses that I’ve explored in chapter 7 are 24-29. This is a truly classic passage that appears in many Sunday schools so I would not be surprised if you are already incredibly familiar with this one. However, no matter how familiar you are with it, the message is an important one to remember. Jesus is speaking of two different kinds of people: those who listen to God’s word and live by them, and those who listen to God’s word and chose to ignore them. The contrast is made apparent: the former, under God’s strength and protection can withstand anything that may be thrown its way because it is built on strong foundations. As I said above, we are not all perfect – we each have our own speck of sawdust in our eye which may blur our way slightly. However, if we can keep sight of the important things, if we can keep God at the centre of our lives and seek to build a relationship with Him, then we can brace the storms which may rage around us.
Challenge
Today’s challenge is for you to read through Matthew chapter 7 – don’t worry it’s not very long and they’re split into small, manageable bits. Reflect on what I’ve written about and explore any new enlightening’s you may have in your own exploration of the passage. I particularly encourage you to read verses 13-23 as I haven’t mentioned them above and explore the meaning behind them.