You laughing at me? (Luke 6:37-42)

When my husband and I lived in Washington, DC, one of the favorite things that we used to enjoy doing in order to get out of the city was to go white water rafting with our thirty-something friends.  We were all in the best shapes of our lives. We worked out together in the local gym, tried out whatever radical sport was in vogue at the time, and kept challenging each other to new heights of daring adventure.  Its how I learned to ski, scuba dive, sail, climb & propel, and raft.  None of which I was very good at - I just liked to hang out with the people who were.  And this is also how we all ended up camping in West Virginia, waking up at dawn, and heading to a dam where water was being released that morning.  We put on our wet suits, got in our rafts, and headed down the Gauley river with class V rapids and a 14 foot water fall. Other people did the Gauley in two days, but not us... we did all 23 miles in one day.

We were a very competitive bunch, but we soon figured out that you never laugh at someone (judge someone) who has fallen out of their raft until you have passed them on the river.  That is because until you have passed them in the river, it is likely you will fall prey to the same rough spot of water that they fell prey to.  And nothing is more embarrassing than to laugh at someone (to judge someone) when you are about to go under too.  The only way smack talk doesn't make you look silly is when you have passed the danger and are yelling over your shoulder at the people behind you.  :-)

Okay, that was me talking - and we were just playing - not really judging.  But in real life... Jesus says not to judge others period.

Matthew 7:1-5  "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.  2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.  3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?  4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye?  5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.

The other gospels weigh in...


Luke 6:37-42   37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;  38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."  39 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?  40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.  41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?  42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. 


Mark 4:24-25   24 And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.  25 For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away."