Trinity 4 July 2, 2023
Luke 6:36-42
Blinded by Sin
v.42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
Dear friends in Christ, many years ago when we lived in Peace River, I began to have problems with my eyes. It felt like I had sand or grit stuck in the back of my eyes. They would water constantly, and it even got to the point where they would cause me pain. Sometimes I wouldn't be able to work because my eyes were so distressed—I couldn't see, they hurt, it was uncomfortable—ugh! What a pain! What was the problem? It ended up that I had a condition where my eyelids were scraping off the top layer of tissue from my corneas every time I blinked, which made them susceptible to infection and discomfort. I eventually needed laser eye surgery to correct the problem! Afterward, I was able to see clearly once more. Thanks be to God!
Indeed, our sight is very important to us. Not just physical sight, but particularly spiritual insight—that is, being able to see ourselves and others clearly by the light of God's Word. Of course, there are times when our own sin and vice gets in the way of this. Take our text, for example, in which Jesus during His great Sermon on the Plain in Luke's Gospel, teaches us that we Christians are to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful. This isn't exactly the same word as mercy that we have in our liturgy—Kyrie Eleison—Lord, have mercy—which pleads to God for forgiveness and grace. This word is certainly related to it, but emphasizes more the idea of sympathy and pity shown to the unfortunate and needy.
So, Jesus begins here by teaching us that we ought to exhibit such sympathy and pity to others—even as we have had this mercy poured out upon us by the Father for Jesus' sake. Of course, this then begs the question as to "How?" "How do I exhibit this kind of mercy?" Jesus tells us, "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you."
How are we to show mercy? By not judging or condemning others for their sins, but rather by showing forgiveness and charity, just as God does toward us. You see, the mercy that God the Father shows toward the perfect Son He also shows toward His forgiven sons and daughters—you and me! We receive the mercy and love of God the Father by believing in the person and work of His Son, Jesus, who bled and died for us on the cross. As Christians, we now reflect God's mercy because we are Christians. And we express this mercy through forgiveness and generosity. To be merciful is to release others from those strictures for which one might be tempted to judge and condemn them.
So…we do not judge nor condemn, but rather forgive and give. Now the admonition by Jesus not to judge or condemn is not referring to legitimate judicial decisions in a court of law, but rather referring to judgments of believers against unbelievers, and particularly those judgments against others within the family of the Christian church. These are not simply the regular petty criticisms that take place everywhere among sinful human beings (though those are indeed included here—"She called me a bad name!" or "He wants to paint the church basement that ugly color."), but especially condemnations about doctrine and life that are made without evidence or are based upon a faulty understanding of God's Word ("You know so and so are shacking up, right? Did you hear so and so has a drinking problem. Did you see that person passed out on the street? Terrible!").
You know how we can sometimes be—even in the church! We gossip, we slander, we judge and condemn in our hearts, if not outright…we make nasty posts on social media—or respond to posts with meanness and hatred in our hearts—rather than mercy and love.
These words of Jesus, "Judge not…condemn not" are really the flipside of the commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Each and every human being—each and every one of us—has sinned out of weakness or otherwise—and we are eager to have God show mercy toward us—to cover over our sin—our guilt and shame—and to have our fellow man do the same. If you would have your neighbor cover your sin—forgive it—then you must do it for your neighbor also. Judge not…sentence not…condemn not…
Only those in particular offices are given authority by God to judge others: parents over children (vice versa within families), judges, pastors, teachers, etc. But no one is given the authority to gossip and slander his neighbor. By doing so, we usurp God's authority to judge all people and all things, taking it for ourselves—condemning them in the dark recesses of our hearts—instead of showing compassion and mercy.
To get His point across, Jesus speaks in hyperbolic fashion regarding a man walking around with a 2 x 4 plank across his eyes trying to approach his neighbor to remove the tiny splinter in their eye. But those who do so—those who bear planks in themselves, while judging splinters in others, who pass sentence on others without authority, will bear God's judgment and condemnation. "For the with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
We are so used to seeing the faults of others, while ignoring our own. Yet, Jesus says that our neighbor's sins toward us ought to be considered as specks—tiny irritating bits of dust—and that before we can help our neighbor to remove that speck in his eye—we must first take the time to remove the plank or log in our own. That is, before we try to counsel our brother on their own sin into which they have fallen in weakness, we first must repent to God of our own great sin toward Him and others.
By God's grace and the power of His Holy Spirit, we must closely examine our lives by the shining light of His blessed Word (that which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path)—so that we may see our sin and repent. Only then—after we have repented of our own sin and received God's mercy in Christ Jesus through the forgiveness of sins—are we then in a right place to gently admonish and counsel our brother or sister about their own particular sin which is plaguing them.
So, we look on our brother with Christian love and charity—remembering that they are a soul for whom Christ has died—just as we are. And so we love them. Not by ignoring their sin—but by pointing them to the mercy of the Father given to them in Jesus—that they might rejoice in His love and peace.
"But what about the serious sins? The big sins? The sins that really hurt me? How can I forgive such grievous sins, pastor? How can I just let that go?" Beloved, remember how the Lord has taken away your sin—at great personal cost to Himself! Jesus shed His blood! All of it! He gave up His life into death to pay for your sins—and the sins of your neighbor—no matter how big or small. He has generously lavished upon you His forgiving grace and mercy. You have not received forgiveness in tiny paltry amounts, but rather "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over" has been placed into your heart. Now, you have the great joy and privilege of exhibiting such generous love and mercy to your neighbor.
A love and generosity that is informed by God's Word. Again, first we repent of our own great sin and vice—then we can humbly and meekly turn to our neighbor—with compassion and mercy—to carefully pick out the pesky eyelash or speck of sin that is stuck in their eye—so that they can see more clearly—and rejoice in God's goodness and mercy toward them.
Beloved, we are not to be the spiritually blind leading the spiritually blind. We who refuse to acknowledge our own sin are ill equipped and ill prepared to help our neighbor with theirs—we are too blind to be of any service. Nor can we ever view ourselves and our knowledge of sin as better or more clear than our teacher Jesus. We disciples of Jesus are not above Him, but below Him. However, through study and devotion of God's Word, receiving His gifts in the Divine Service whereby we receive His mercy, we become trained to be more like Jesus. Not so that we can "stick it" to our neighbor, but rather that we may "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." We rejoice in the mercy we receive here in this place. His outpouring of forgiveness and grace in Word and Sacrament that enlightens our souls and relieves us of the burden of the guilt and shame we bear for our sin. We are washed, renewed, fed, and strengthened by His comforting absolution that removes all our sin by the blood of Christ.
Having been washed in the blood of Jesus that is the full expression of the Father's mercy toward us, which has cleansed us of all sin, and removed the blindness of sin from our hearts, we now have clear spiritual sight to see our own sin, and to assist our neighbor with theirs—by listening to their confession and forgiving them in Jesus' name. What a blessed joy and privilege! To give as it has been given to you! To pour out Jesus' love and mercy to sinners in need—so that His love overflows in their hearts—changing them—transforming their hearts—as yours has been transformed. Truly, you can see clearly now that your sin has gone. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Luke 6:36-42
Blinded by Sin
v.42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
Dear friends in Christ, many years ago when we lived in Peace River, I began to have problems with my eyes. It felt like I had sand or grit stuck in the back of my eyes. They would water constantly, and it even got to the point where they would cause me pain. Sometimes I wouldn't be able to work because my eyes were so distressed—I couldn't see, they hurt, it was uncomfortable—ugh! What a pain! What was the problem? It ended up that I had a condition where my eyelids were scraping off the top layer of tissue from my corneas every time I blinked, which made them susceptible to infection and discomfort. I eventually needed laser eye surgery to correct the problem! Afterward, I was able to see clearly once more. Thanks be to God!
Indeed, our sight is very important to us. Not just physical sight, but particularly spiritual insight—that is, being able to see ourselves and others clearly by the light of God's Word. Of course, there are times when our own sin and vice gets in the way of this. Take our text, for example, in which Jesus during His great Sermon on the Plain in Luke's Gospel, teaches us that we Christians are to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful. This isn't exactly the same word as mercy that we have in our liturgy—Kyrie Eleison—Lord, have mercy—which pleads to God for forgiveness and grace. This word is certainly related to it, but emphasizes more the idea of sympathy and pity shown to the unfortunate and needy.
So, Jesus begins here by teaching us that we ought to exhibit such sympathy and pity to others—even as we have had this mercy poured out upon us by the Father for Jesus' sake. Of course, this then begs the question as to "How?" "How do I exhibit this kind of mercy?" Jesus tells us, "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you."
How are we to show mercy? By not judging or condemning others for their sins, but rather by showing forgiveness and charity, just as God does toward us. You see, the mercy that God the Father shows toward the perfect Son He also shows toward His forgiven sons and daughters—you and me! We receive the mercy and love of God the Father by believing in the person and work of His Son, Jesus, who bled and died for us on the cross. As Christians, we now reflect God's mercy because we are Christians. And we express this mercy through forgiveness and generosity. To be merciful is to release others from those strictures for which one might be tempted to judge and condemn them.
So…we do not judge nor condemn, but rather forgive and give. Now the admonition by Jesus not to judge or condemn is not referring to legitimate judicial decisions in a court of law, but rather referring to judgments of believers against unbelievers, and particularly those judgments against others within the family of the Christian church. These are not simply the regular petty criticisms that take place everywhere among sinful human beings (though those are indeed included here—"She called me a bad name!" or "He wants to paint the church basement that ugly color."), but especially condemnations about doctrine and life that are made without evidence or are based upon a faulty understanding of God's Word ("You know so and so are shacking up, right? Did you hear so and so has a drinking problem. Did you see that person passed out on the street? Terrible!").
You know how we can sometimes be—even in the church! We gossip, we slander, we judge and condemn in our hearts, if not outright…we make nasty posts on social media—or respond to posts with meanness and hatred in our hearts—rather than mercy and love.
These words of Jesus, "Judge not…condemn not" are really the flipside of the commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Each and every human being—each and every one of us—has sinned out of weakness or otherwise—and we are eager to have God show mercy toward us—to cover over our sin—our guilt and shame—and to have our fellow man do the same. If you would have your neighbor cover your sin—forgive it—then you must do it for your neighbor also. Judge not…sentence not…condemn not…
Only those in particular offices are given authority by God to judge others: parents over children (vice versa within families), judges, pastors, teachers, etc. But no one is given the authority to gossip and slander his neighbor. By doing so, we usurp God's authority to judge all people and all things, taking it for ourselves—condemning them in the dark recesses of our hearts—instead of showing compassion and mercy.
To get His point across, Jesus speaks in hyperbolic fashion regarding a man walking around with a 2 x 4 plank across his eyes trying to approach his neighbor to remove the tiny splinter in their eye. But those who do so—those who bear planks in themselves, while judging splinters in others, who pass sentence on others without authority, will bear God's judgment and condemnation. "For the with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
We are so used to seeing the faults of others, while ignoring our own. Yet, Jesus says that our neighbor's sins toward us ought to be considered as specks—tiny irritating bits of dust—and that before we can help our neighbor to remove that speck in his eye—we must first take the time to remove the plank or log in our own. That is, before we try to counsel our brother on their own sin into which they have fallen in weakness, we first must repent to God of our own great sin toward Him and others.
By God's grace and the power of His Holy Spirit, we must closely examine our lives by the shining light of His blessed Word (that which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path)—so that we may see our sin and repent. Only then—after we have repented of our own sin and received God's mercy in Christ Jesus through the forgiveness of sins—are we then in a right place to gently admonish and counsel our brother or sister about their own particular sin which is plaguing them.
So, we look on our brother with Christian love and charity—remembering that they are a soul for whom Christ has died—just as we are. And so we love them. Not by ignoring their sin—but by pointing them to the mercy of the Father given to them in Jesus—that they might rejoice in His love and peace.
"But what about the serious sins? The big sins? The sins that really hurt me? How can I forgive such grievous sins, pastor? How can I just let that go?" Beloved, remember how the Lord has taken away your sin—at great personal cost to Himself! Jesus shed His blood! All of it! He gave up His life into death to pay for your sins—and the sins of your neighbor—no matter how big or small. He has generously lavished upon you His forgiving grace and mercy. You have not received forgiveness in tiny paltry amounts, but rather "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over" has been placed into your heart. Now, you have the great joy and privilege of exhibiting such generous love and mercy to your neighbor.
A love and generosity that is informed by God's Word. Again, first we repent of our own great sin and vice—then we can humbly and meekly turn to our neighbor—with compassion and mercy—to carefully pick out the pesky eyelash or speck of sin that is stuck in their eye—so that they can see more clearly—and rejoice in God's goodness and mercy toward them.
Beloved, we are not to be the spiritually blind leading the spiritually blind. We who refuse to acknowledge our own sin are ill equipped and ill prepared to help our neighbor with theirs—we are too blind to be of any service. Nor can we ever view ourselves and our knowledge of sin as better or more clear than our teacher Jesus. We disciples of Jesus are not above Him, but below Him. However, through study and devotion of God's Word, receiving His gifts in the Divine Service whereby we receive His mercy, we become trained to be more like Jesus. Not so that we can "stick it" to our neighbor, but rather that we may "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." We rejoice in the mercy we receive here in this place. His outpouring of forgiveness and grace in Word and Sacrament that enlightens our souls and relieves us of the burden of the guilt and shame we bear for our sin. We are washed, renewed, fed, and strengthened by His comforting absolution that removes all our sin by the blood of Christ.
Having been washed in the blood of Jesus that is the full expression of the Father's mercy toward us, which has cleansed us of all sin, and removed the blindness of sin from our hearts, we now have clear spiritual sight to see our own sin, and to assist our neighbor with theirs—by listening to their confession and forgiving them in Jesus' name. What a blessed joy and privilege! To give as it has been given to you! To pour out Jesus' love and mercy to sinners in need—so that His love overflows in their hearts—changing them—transforming their hearts—as yours has been transformed. Truly, you can see clearly now that your sin has gone. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.