“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.6 “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 turn and tear you to pieces.REFLECTIONSWritten by Ken WongJesus paints an incredibly absurd picture! Try drawing a plank and compare it to the size of an eye. Jesus is exaggerating to make this point: the failings the Pharisees saw in others (the speck) were often much smaller than those they perceived in themselves (the plank). Please don't take this as Jesus saying to never speak up against anyone, in fact, there are many instances where it is right and loving to speak up (Galatians 2:11). But Jesus does ask us to pause and reflect on our motivations before we speak up. Firstly, do I judge like a Pharisee? Do I judge people by their accomplishments? Do I judge them by how much we are alike? The Gospel should ground us. With a Christian brother or sister, if we are tempted to treat them differently, the Gospel reminds us that our salvation is accomplished by Christ alone. With an unbeliever, if we are tempted to see them in a poor light, know they too are made in the image of God and worthy of honour. And what causes me to see other’s flaws so clearly but be oblivious to my own shortcomings? Have I believed the lie that the Pharisees believed, that perhaps I am good enough, or that I am better than others? The Gospel should remind us that we are all equally sinful, and apart from God’s grace we are all condemned. It is a hard task reading verse 6. Jesus is telling us that the Gospel is a precious message, but it is also a message that may offend and cause aggression. Jesus reminds us to use discernment as we hold out the good news, and there may be times where it’s wise to walk away for the benefit of further kingdom work. It will take a lot of wisdom to wrestle with the tension between loving the lost and advancing the Gospel (Matthew 10:14).So let’s ask God to give us the wisdom to discern and act in ways that most glorify Jesus. Let us not turn righteousness in Christ into self-righteousness, and pray that God will help us to encourage one another from a pure heart.ABOUT THE AUTHORKen is part of our Fairfield Evening Church.