Removing Specks

A message from Luke 6:37-42 by Phil Rogers 12/08/07

To listen to Phil's message click here mp3

1. Do not judge and you will not be judged
2. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned
3. Set free (forgive) and you will be set free (forgiven).
4. Give and it will be given to you
good measure, pressed down, shaken together
running over they will give into your ‘apron’
for the same measure with which you measure
out will be measured back to you

And he told them a parable: What happens if a blind man leads a blind man? Won’t both of them fall into a ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher but everyone when he is fully trained will become like his teacher.

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but not notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother let me cast out the speck that is in your eye” when you don’t even see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite. First cast the beam out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to cast out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Principles of Healing and Wholeness
In Jesus’ trade as a carpenter it was an occupational hazard to get sawdust in his eyes. When a farmer winnowed his wheat how easily bits of chaff would get in his eyes. We nearly always need someone to help us get such specks out of our eyes, it is not something we can easily do for ourself. This is the heart of what bringing healing and wholeness is all about; helping others spiritually remove the specks from their eyes that irritate and hinder clear vision. In this passage Jesus lays down some principles that are essential to us helping others get free from spiritual irritations. We all have things in our lives and from time to time ‘flare up’. This is when we need immediate help to get the difficulty resolved.
Jesus gives two negatives, two positives, a parable about the blind leading the blind, and then the illustration of the speck and the log.

1. Two negatives
Do not judge. Do not condemn. The Greek word means judge, but also discern, have an opinion and make a decision. We all need good judgement and discernment; it is important that we have opinions on things, and we all need to weigh up matters when decision making. But Jesus is speaking out against passing judgement on other people, their looks, their behaviour, their attitudes, what they say. Condemn means ‘make a judgment against’. We too easily pass judgment against another person. Many of us were brought up being judged by our parents and others. Criticism is a very common currency in the world today, so we pick up a ‘critical spirit’, always noticing the things that are wrong with other people, commenting on what they do and say. We pick up from the world or inherit from our parents such ungodly attitudes which can be strongholds, even in the lives of believers. A critical or judgmental spirit, being opinionated, negativity are all ways in which the evil one seeks to destroy us and our credibility. We may easily recognise ‘specks’ in other people but if our observation is born out of criticism rather than from a true loving concern, it is demonic not godly. We first have to get our own logs removed. Before anyone is qualified to minister to another such things as a critical spirit and negativity or any other ungodly attitudes have to be removed.
Some people get into prayer ministry because they need to be needed. Praying for others gives them a sense of importance and they are always eager to counsel or pray with others. This is a classic log. It makes others feel uncomfortable and rather than people flocking to them for prayer, people avoid them, which they find highly frustrating. Such a serious log disqualifies us from helping others deal with their ‘specks’. “All you need is love.” People flocked to Jesus because they felt his love and were confident in him. He was free from any spirit of criticism or any need to be needed, even though he criticised the hypocritical pharisees. I like to pray with people and have faith for it because I know that God has set me free from things that I struggled with terribly. I would love to see many others who know that God has dealt with their logs being released to help others with their ‘specks’.

2. Two Positives
a) Forgiving. The word forgive here is ‘to set free’. When we forgive a person we release them from whatever they have done to us. This is fundamental to our own freedom. We cannot be free ourselves if we refuse to release someone else. (Lord’s prayer - forgive as we forgive) Satan loves to keep us bound up through bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness and a fear of getting hurt. A key to complete freedom is forgiving. If we will not forgive another and release them, we cannot be forgiven and released ourselves. It is sometimes very hard to forgive. e.g parents - they did they best - it feels disloyal to acknowledge their sin against us and forgive them. But we must. Sin is sin, and all sin against us, deliberate or not, needs forgiving. We choose to forgive and so release that person, so that if we ever bump into them we can greet them like a long lost friend and not feel like crossing over to the other side of the road to avoid them. That is the fruit of real forgiveness. As we forgive, the hold Satan has over us is broken we are set free and any unclean spirits connected with this area of bondage can be driven out of us.

b) Giving is what being a follower of Christ is all about. God so loved the world he GAVE his one and only Son. God is a giver. We can never outgive God, but he wants us to be givers like him and not takers. Some people are very good at taking but not at giving. Like the plants in the Little shop of Horrors they want constant feeding, “Feed me!” But takers never truly grow, they just get fat. You cannot grow without giving.
Some givers never let anyone give to them; including God. Jesus said “Freely you have received, freely give.” We cannot give spiritual help and blessing unless we have received the Spirit and go on being filled with the Spirit. We cannot give spiritual help unless we have been helped ourselves. We cannot remove the speck until we have let someone help us cast out our log.
What can we give? We can give our time, our money, our care, our love, our interest, our compassion, our spiritual giftedness, our prayers, our energy, ourselves.
How are we to give? Jesus introduces the idea of measures. Whatever we measure out to others, that is what we will get back, pressed down, shaken together and running over. God never lets us outgive him. Thimble, cup, jug, bowl, dustbin! What measure do we give financially or of our time? How freely do we use our gifts like prophecy and healing? If we hold back we will get little back.

3. A Parable
Jesus points out how very serious the blind leading the blind can be. A person blinded by a log in their own eye can too easily take someone else down into a very deep pit if they try to lead them. So it is vitaly important for anyone involved in leadership and in seeking to bring healing and wholeness to others knows the Lord’s freedom in their own lives. We gain clearer sight through getting to know God and his word. Conferences, training courses, reading books all open our eyes to the truth. But these may not get rid of logs in our eyes, which can seriously blind us. Logs have to be removed which involves openness, and receiving healing and deliverance. It is very dangerous to go on courses to learn how to pray for others without receiving any prayer ourselves. We get help to overcome the evil one in our own lives, and then we can help others get free from the works of the Devil in theirs. This is a must for all leaders and anyone who feels called to prayer ministry. If we try to lead and minister to others with logs not dealt with, we could end up transferring our logs onto others who are vulnerable.
In the local church we know each other, we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we know what we feel from people. We know if people are criticisers and judges, or if they are givers and forgivers. We can trust the givers. We can trust the forgivers. So I conclude with Jesus’ words again..“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but not notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother let me cast out the speck that is in your eye” when you don’t even see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite. First cast the beam out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to cast out the speck that is in your brother’s eye".