Jesus friend of sinners, open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers.

Let our hearts be led by mercy.

Help us see with open hearts and open doors.

Jesus friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours.

Why is the human race so prone to hypocrisy? Have you ever been a hypocrite? Are you mulling over whether you have been one or not? Because the answer is, “You have!” Wait. Are you saying no in your mind? Because then you would add “lying” to the fact that you actually have been hypocritical at a certain time in your life.

Every one of us has been a hypocrite in one way or another, or at a particular time in our lives. We expect others to meet a standard that we are ourselves lacking. We expect people to be moral when we are unable to be moral, we don’t want people gossiping about us even though we gossip about others. We expect people to be fair when we are unfair.

Classic example straight out of the good, no, best book. Specifically, John chapter 8. A bunch of Pharisees (who have become synonymous with hypocrisy) throw a woman at Jesus’ mercy. They are ready to crush her head into brain putty with rocks and stones. All they require is the bang of the gavel from Jesus. But Jesus does what He does that makes me love Him so much. He bends down and writes in the sand. (which isn’t what I’m speaking of. lol). He makes one of the most poignant statements I have ever heard in human history. “Alright, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

Silence!

Now that Jesus has silenced us, let us try to understand the reasons why like the Pharisees who had the embarrassment of their lives, we throw people to the ground ready to stone them. Mind you, I believe we have each also been thrown to the ground at the end of someone else’s rock.

You see, like the Pharisees, we do it because it fuels our self-importance and self-approval. It’s a subtle ego booster. The more we magnify someone else’s flaws, the less we see ours. Maybe no one will get to see how we’re messing up in our own lives. We put on a show for the imaginary crowd. Maybe we sincerely believe we have it all together. But no. That is where we are wrong. Understand this, if we are going to hold someone to a certain standard, then we must ourselves appraise our lives by the same measure. And the truth is that we fall short!

That is why Jesus asked in Matthew 7, why are you so concerned with the speck in your brother’s eye when you haven’t taken out the plank in yours. Deal with yours first before you can deal with another’s. (paraphrased). According to Jesus, the more you magnify your neighbor’s flaws, there’s an automatic magnification of yours. If you can’t see your own glaring flaws, how can you see someone else’s flaws clearly. Jesus in those words simply communicates to us that we not the best judges of ourselves. Do you know why? We usually judge others by our own standards (which is sub-standard at best). I mean consider the scenario of the accused woman. It takes two to tango, yet somehow, only one dance partner showed up at the trial. Smh. (Sub-standard Human Standard).

Pastor Mike Novotny explains the same text (Matthew 7) in such a beautiful way. Once we take a look at the plank in our eyes and try to deal with it, we realize how difficult it is to change or discipline ourselves. We discover our helplessness. We realize even more how much of grace we need.

You see, once we humbly approach the giver of grace, Jesus Christ, we receive grace to overcome. And by this, we are better positioned to approach that other person; be it a bro or sis, friend or family who has the speck, with the same grace we have received. At this point, we are truly helpful to that person. Wonderful right?

So instead of hurting those around us with the eye plank which blinds us to the right way to take out their  speck, let us take time to experience God’s grace to heal our flaws so that we can extend that same grace to others. In the same vein, others will extend grace to us. 

Remember, Jesus was perfect. He had no plank in His eye. And no one extended grace to the imperfect or sinful more than He did. 

See this, if each of us is working on taking out the planks in our eyes, discovering grace and extending grace to each other, won’t we be better built up? Loving each other. Getting better and better together.

There are many theories regarding what Jesus may have written in the sand that day. Most theories point to this action as an act of grace toward the woman and judgement toward her accusers. I would like to believe that as accusations were thrown at the helpless woman from left, right and center, he probably wrote grace and mercy in the dust for that lady (I really wish the disciples had taken a peek and told us though).

Notwithstanding, until we have been at the end of a killing stone and received of Jesus’ mercy, we will hold that stone in our hand and be at His judgement.

Remember, when we are not blinded by our self-righteousness, we see with compassion and grace.

Awaken.

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A very good one. Do y’all listen to the songs I post. (just wondering)

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I wonder why his words come to me now.

“…these streets remind me of quicksand. When you’re on it, you’ll keep going down. There’s no one to hold on to. There’s no one to pull you out. You keep falling. No one hears you calling. You end up self destructing .”

music by Akon – Ghetto

…Poetic.

How easy it is to feel that way. To be that way. Like you’re falling through quicksand. The more you struggle to get out, the quicker you sink deeper into the quagmire. You wonder how the ground began to swallow you up. You thought the bog was just a shallow puddle you could waddle through. Until it began to suck you into dark depths.

…Merciless.

You see solid ground around you, just beyond your reach, but you cannot touch. You can only watch as your world slowly disappears before your eyes. You start to fear, freak, cry, despair, accept defeat as you feel that slow sucking power of the ground that was meant to bear you up.

Is there really someone to hear me call? Is there someone who sees me struggling? Who sees me drowning in myself? Self- destructing. You are at your wits end and frustrated with yourself. You feel what Paul feels. You wonder why you don’t do the things you ought to but what you would rather not. Yet you know the answer…You are maybe tired of trying to do right. Trying to be on the straight and narrow. The perfect picture.

…You’re weary.

But there is someone who sees you falling. Who hears you calling. Who feels you worn out and exhausted. Who knows you’re giving up on yourself. Unwilling to hold on another second. There is someone who can pull you out. Don’t try to get out on your own. Your efforts will push you faster beneath the surface.

…Lost.

Cry out! Cry out to the One on solid ground. Shout, “Lord! Deliver me from me! Because me, hurts me! Me, destroys me! Because me, betrays me.”

He will come and save you. His word will draw you from the miry bog. Upon solid ground, you will stand. I wish we will stay on the path of life and not wander into the mysterious jungle. It’s allure is but for a moment.

…Fading away.

Leaving you empty inside. With tempting steps, sucking you into a lifeless, breathless, never ending pool of darkness. You wonder how you got so deep and lost.

…Far from the path.

I cried to the Lord and He answered me. No, I did not cry out like I should have. I whispered to the Lord. Right before I slipped into the darkness. “Lord, do something before I lose my mind; before I lose my love; before I lose my life.” He heard me. He gave me peace.

I am rising

Out of the sand, out of the dust, out of the mud, out of the pain, out of the hurt, out of this mess, out of the stress, out of the rain. I am rising.

To the One who gives us victory…

Over our selves. Over our temptations. Over our trials. Over our weaknesses. Over our thoughts of defeat. Over our sin. Over our choices of wrong. Over our emptiness. Over our sighs of hopelessness. Over our pride.

…I give my life

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