Stories. We love to hear them. We love even more to tell them. There is something about a story which catches our attention. Jesus Christ told a lot of stories during his years on this earth. We call them “parables” but they are really stories; stories which are simple, understandable and always have some spiritual lesson to teach. When Jesus told a story, it was always meant to speak to our hearts.
One story he told was about a person who had a plank in his eye and yet he insisted on trying to take out a little speck in the eye of his friend. Kind of crazy, right? Not anymore crazy than you and I, with all our faults, arrogantly trying to tell someone else to clean up their act. It’s pretty easy to identify other peoples’ weaknesses and be totally oblivious of our own. Even more shocking is the incredible ease with which we brutally expose other peoples’ faults. We call it ripping on other people. Jesus said it was judging. Whatever you call it, Jesus said, “Don’t do it” as it is one of the highest forms of hypocrisy.
But there’s more to this whole matter of negatively judging other people. This attitude reveals in us something that is very wrong, very destructive to our relationship with Christ.
Identifying what’s wrong with other people – it may be something we enjoy doing. But it certainly is not a part of what Christ had planned for our lives when he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross.
If you’ve started to realize that ripping on other people, though it gives a certain temporary satisfaction, is eating away at your heart like acid, join us for one of our services this weekend for a story that will speak to your heart.
Saturday evening service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am
