May 10th, 2024

Today is May 10th.   
   
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.     
   
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
 
Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 6.  


“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 


Jesus provides us such a powerful image here of how our scales of justice are tilted in our own favor. The faults of others are so big, while ours are so small. But Jesus turns the image around and says that the large plank in our eye creates a vision problem for us. We can’t see clearly because our sin has so distorted our vision. Think back over your life and consider a time when you were able to see the plank in your eye. Was there a moment when you really were able to see how significant your sin was? What was that like? 
 
Consider now a sin that feels very present to you in the life of someone your care about—maybe a friend, or a co-worker, a family member, or a brother or sister in Christ. As you hear that passage again, ask God to give you 20-20 vision of your own sin. Before you address the sin in their life, is there anything that God wants to address in you?   
 
Jesus doesn’t say to avoid addressing the sin in others. He says that we need to do it after we deal with our own sin before God. Elsewhere the scriptures say that we need to restore others gently, lovingly. As you continue through your day, ask God to increase your love for those around you that you may restore them with God’s gentleness.  
 
Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

Music: You're All I Need - Heaven and Earth - (YouTube)