Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “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? 4 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? 5 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.
Observation
Mercy and grace are so awesome to receive from God, he could have said “I am God and you messed up so here is what you deserve.”
What hypocrites we are, God does not stand up for his “rights” so why can’t we follow his example and allow ourselves to be wronged without wanting to settle the score with our offender?
Our relationships here on earth are tainted by sin. Look at the relationships in the Garden of Eden, there wasn’t any sin and both man and woman and God are all in perfect relationship as God desired for it to be. But as soon as sin came into those first relationships everything changed. God no longer walked in the garden each day with his first children he couldn’t be as close to them as he was before. I am just guessing but without sin in the picture there was probably no reason that Adam and Eve couldn’t look directly at God and talk to him face to face, but as soon as sin came in then it was time for them to go hide.
Adam and Eve no longer related to each other the same either, God placed Adam over Eve. Immediately there became rules for relationship, it seems that God knew that our relationships would become selfish and that there would have to be a hierarchy in relationships so that we could settle our differences. But that hierarchy gets messed up when one of us thinks more highly of our self than we should or becomes corrupt, that is evident in marriage, friendships and in government.
Too bad that we cannot relate to each other the way that God desired without fear or judging. We are all in the same situation we all need forgiveness through God’s mercy and grace.
Who can possibly understand the perfect relationship that we see in the trinity? All three entities working in perfect harmony, the only relationship cannot be broken by sin.
Application
I will remember to dish out mercy and be forgiving. I cannot relate properly with those around me without being in close relationship with God, the creator of relationships.
Prayer
You are the creator of relationship, it is the only reason that you created us. Help me to treat others as well as you have treated me.
