May 13 2024
Pause. Read. Reflect. Be Still. Pray.
Monday, May 13, 2024
Jesus Asks
It is normal for us to go to God with our questions. God, what do you think about this? God, why did this happen? God, can you help me get this or that? We do not always spend time pondering the questions Jesus asks. As you read the scriptures this week, I pray you reflect on your responses to questions Jesus asks.
Read: Matthew 7: 1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults – unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling rad-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor’ (The Message).
Reflect: There is something about reading certain passages from Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of scripture that hits me at my core. Today’s scripture always calls me to reflect on my responses, my actions, and my facial expressions, especially when I hear Jesus ask, do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt?
As much as I try to have neutral facial expressions when I am engaged in conversation, there are times when my face speaks volumes to how I am feeling: judgment, frustration, even disbelief by what is coming out of the person’s mouth as they condemn, criticize, and offer snarky comments toward me or about others.
When I focus on someone else’s smudge, I should first recognize and remove the dirt from my face. If we are honest with ourselves, this is something we all experience. We are no different than the people Jesus spoke directly to during his time on earth
However, if there ever is a time when I feel compelled to address someone’s shortcoming, I do it gently, with love and understanding. The goal is not to condemn, but to seek healing by recognizing we all have flaws.
Be Still: Has someone addressed your shortcomings in a gentle and loving way? How did this make you feel? Has someone tried to wash your face before wiping the smudge off their own face? How did you respond?
Let us make it our goal to practice the pause whenever we find ourselves engaged in criticizing or condemning another. We should never play the holier-than-thou part, no one is without blemish; we should only be attentive to our own smudges because we want do not want to be handed a washcloth by others. As we consider others this week, remember God’s grace toward us is the same grace for which we are to regard others.
Pray: God help me to be mindful of the ways I jump into conversations that condemn and criticize others. May I first look in the mirror, recognizing my own flaws and imperfections before pointing out others. Amen.
Together,
we are held
in Christ’s love.
Pastor Kellie