Yesterday I said it’s always a good time to get off the wrong train – and I wasn’t talking about trains.
We all make mistakes. We all, at some point, find ourselves on the wrong train.
Leads to a few questions. How do you know it’s the wrong train? Who decides? What if you think someone else is on the wrong train?
These are questions of judgment. Jesus offered this guidance.
Do not judge so that you will not be judged. Because with the judgment that you judge, you will be judged.
And with the measure that you measure, it will be measured to you.
Why do you see the speck in the eye of your brother, but you don’t perceive the beam in your eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Allow me to take out the speck from your eye,” and look, the beam is in your eye!
Hypocrite! First take out the beam from your eye, and then you can see clearly the speck in the eye of your brother.
I used to think He was telling me all judgment was wrong. Now I know there’s a difference between judgment (discernment) and judgment (condemnation). The following parable of the beam and the speck makes this clear.
Whenever I’m tempted to think you might be on the wrong train, Jesus invites me first to humbly reflect on my own path. Once I’m absolutely certain my own eyes are clear, I might offer guidance to you or someone else.
Honestly – if I follow Jesus’ guidance, if I truly reflect on my own path and making sure I’m on the right train, I find that keeps me fairly busy. This sort of self-reflection reduces my need to re-route other folks.
It’s almost like Jesus knew focusing on my own path might be a healthier way to operate.