Parables Of Jesus Christ

The parable of the speck and the log

The speck and the log (Matthew 7:1-5, Luke 6:41-42)
"Judge not, that you be not judged.For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 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? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Mat 7 :1-6
"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. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
Luke6 37 - 43
This parable is different from the others i have shared as in this was Jesus teaching his followers how to live their lives. It was part of the sermon on the mount as affectionally called. This one is different as jesus gives a direct command and emblelishes with the parable to get his point over. Plain and simply "do not judge" which is followed by a warning "or you will be judged". The word for "judge" means to to "...separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose..."Jesus goes on to explain the type of judging he is talking about through the parable .He is talking about the hypocritical type of judging that points out wrong in others lives and ignores the wrongs in own life. He ends with remove the log from their own eye to help their brother. When investigating it i notice that some people use these passages to try and argue that it is wrong to make a moral judgement about the way that other people live. I dont think thats wat this parable is about. Other passages in Matthew 7:15-20 we are taught that we need to be able to evaluate and consider what God approves of. How can people recognise their sin in order to be saved from their sin, if they aren't told that what it is they do that is sinful. Critical and reflective thinking are important in order to help other people. I believe Jesus is talking about a different type of judging in this parable. I think it speaks against the type of judgemental attitudes that try to make others look like less than we are by pointing out their flaws without acknowledging our own. It tells us not to be hypocrites and to judge ourselves first, lest we deserve the same criticism we have for others. This is a section of God's church which ignores this commandment to not be hypocritical. When we judge ourselves, we recognise we are sinful and our approach to others sin is with love and humility because we identify with them. If we deal the "log in our eye" (the sin in our lives), we are then able to help others with the "speck in their eyes" (their sin) by talking it through with love and grace in a humble manner
"then you will" to me shows that it is appropriate and permissable to judge with love, but only after we have acknowledged and sorted our messed up lives. We have to acknowledge our own imperfections and sin and not be hypocrites. If we acknowledge these things then we will be humbling ourselves before God and able to receive His love and grace. Before i was saved i was very judgmental and by no way am i perfect still on this front (or any front for that matter), but i certainly have improved. Jesus has made that possible.