“AND THEN!”

Matthew 7:1-5                                            (ESV)

“1 "Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

3 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?

4 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?

5 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.”

How many times have we heard Matthew 7:1 used to refrain from lovingly explaining to our brothers and sisters that a bridge on the road they are traveling is washed out and certain destruction lies ahead if the continue on the current path?  It is difficult, when someone is as sinful as I am, to alert others about what they are doing wrong.  But, out of love, we have to TAKE THE LOG OUT OF YOUR OWN EYE, “AND THEN” help those we SEE headed down the wrong path.  

Far too many times we tend to focus one one verse of Scripture and forget about the surrounding verses?  JESUS is speaking in Matthew 5 through Matthew 7 with only a few verses at the beginning and end that are NOT spoken by HIM.  Ignoring anything that our CREATOR says is a dangerous thing to do, especially when we take HIS WORD out of context to suit our own agendas.  When we leave just a few words, we run the risk of missing the entire scope of the message.

In Matthew 7:1, JESUS says “Judge not, that you be not judged”.  But that doesn’t delete Matthew 7:5 from Scripture, which says “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.”  “AND THEN” Instructs us to stop driving down the path of destruction, “AND THEN” start alerting others of the danger awaiting them.  Is it LOVE to let them proceed without being warned of the danger ahead???

However, all we can do is alert them.  ALMIGHTY GOD is the ONLY ONE WHO is able to change a heart and John 6:44 says “.....No one can come to ME unless the FATHER WHO sent ME draws him.....”.  Alerting others isn’t an option, we MUST tell them that destruction awaits, but HE has provided a way (John 14:6) around the trouble, “AND THEN” if they choose to continue on, the consequences rest solely in their court!