Fair I See

Watch your toes! I thought about this one for a while. I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I thought about how it may offend some but encourage others and I came to the conclusion that if I can encourage someone along life’s highway, isn’t that one of the things our Father sent us all to do. If you are offended I apologize and ask for your forgiveness but I implore you to examine why.
How fair do you see? It is a question we should all ask ourselves. It seems that it is much easier to find fault in others than it is to find it within ourselves. We are so quick to judge and appoint blame. We rationalize our sins. Had it not been for this I would not have done that. Sin is not an effect it is a choice. However our neighbor is judged by a different standard than ourselves. I heard this saying that wisdom is having a whole lot to say but not saying it. Proverbs 29:11 says: “A fool vents all his feelings but a wise man holds them back.” Matthew 7:1-2 says this: “Judge not that you may not be judged. For with that judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will measured back to you.” Jesus is simply saying this. Whatever method you use to judge then that is the method that will be used to judge you. Jesus said in Matthew 7:3-5: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” How foolish is it for us to say “I did this or that but my neighbor’s sin is greater than mine!” Or worse yet hide your sin and sit on high posts judging the sins of others. Not only do you not see fairly, it makes you a Pharisee. We’ve all dealt with Pharisees. They are on our jobs, in our churches and even in our homes. Pharisees were typically self-righteous and legalistic, flaunting their own "good works" before others to make themselves appear superior. Jesus referred to them many times as hypocrites. One of one Jesus’ most powerful dealings with a Pharisee is in Luke 7:36-50. While being anointed by the woman with the alabaster box, this was posed to Simon “Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. I’m saying this to say, if you are giving God your very best and I do mean your absolute best, it matters not at all what others say. He knows! No one can judge you but Him! There are planks in the eyes of men! They judge you by their limited sight but God sees all. Good and bad. We can’t hide from him! In John 8:1-7 deals with the woman caught in the act of adultery. In an attempt to have cause to accuse Jesus the Pharisees tempted Him citing the Law of Moses stating women caught in adultery should be stoned to death. “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” One by one they left for no one is without sin. Acts 3:19 says “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” The definition of repent is: to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life. Repentance and faith in the blood of Jesus Christ result in total forgiveness and remission of sin.
So will you continue to say to yourself “fair I see” or will you remain a Pharisee?