Matthew 7:1-2 – BOOMERANGS, MIRRORS AND GLASS HOUSES

Matthew 7:1-2 – BOOMERANGS, MIRRORS AND GLASS HOUSES

Boomerangs, Mirrors and Glass Houses

He turns right slightly, his sinewed muscles and black skin responding to the direction of the wind. Standing sideways with his feet-apart, his left foot forward, he points with his left hand in the direction of intended flight, just above the horizon. He holds the tip of a strange curved wooden object, his thumb on top and three fingers below. Cocking it back to ensure a good spin and stepping sharply forward with his left foot, he thrusts this carved, curled, curious object overhand as if he were throwing a spear, giving it a whip-like flick with his index finger just before it is released. With a smooth breathlike whoosh, the BOOMERANG takes a spectacular flight in a distinct curve to the left, climbing gently, levelling out and arcing back around toward him as if it is being summoned back to the origin of it’s journey and to the presence of the thrower. As it hovers for a moment he reaches out, deftly catching it. He is already aware of the prey that has been disturbed by it’s flight, and his spear is at hand.

Jesus says “Do not JUDGE others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2 NLT). Judgment boomerangs!

I launch judgments everyday on appearance, behaviour, speech, attitudes, promises, guilt or innocence, who I believe and who I don’t. When Jesus says “Do not JUDGE others…” He does not mean that I never use my DISCERNMENT! The word He uses and the context of this passage suggests judgment which is harsh and petty, given with loveless intention. The invitation He gives to avoid such judgment returning, boomerang-like, is for us to look at ourselves first. MIRROR, MIRROR on the wall, who is the guiltiest of them all? Are the faults I see reflected simply those that I’ve detected in the people I’ve rejected since they look too much like me? Projected judgments return with a vengeance.

So how do we address the sins we see in another person’s life? Jesus isn’t sweet and gentle when He calls the Pharisees “Hypocrites! Whitewashed tombstones! Brood of Snakes!” The Pharisees judge others in all the wrong ways. They are critical, negative, sharp-tongued slanderers whose standards are twisted and distorted by their black hearts. Jesus condemns them for being conceited, spiritually blind, showing a real lack of love, and for being hypocrites. And as He speaks to them, He also speaks to me about this issue. He is looking me directly in the eye and saying, “Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:5 NLT).

People in GLASS HOUSES shouldn’t throw boomerangs! Luke 6:38 (NASB) says “… For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Haman discovered this when he prepared a gallows for Mordecai (Esther 7:9-10). Kent Hughes says “Very few of us dare to pray, “God, judge me as I judge my fellow men and women.””

Judgments become transformed from weapons of offence to instruments of healing when they are based on a relationship with Christ and a desire to show God’s MERCY and FORGIVENESS, not to condemn. James 2:11-13 (NLT) says “… There will be no MERCY for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when He judges you.” Even the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:12-15 (NLT) says “FORGIVE us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” …“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” When Mercy and forgiveness take flight they return, boomerang-like with a healing touch to our own souls.

The invitation is to look in the mirror, remove the impediments to discernment concerning others, and to see them through the eyes of the Cross. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT) says “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Pastor Ross

Job 34:1-8 – PERSPECTIVES ON CHAOS

Job 34:1-8 – PERSPECTIVES ON CHAOS

Perspectives on Chaos

Nine elderly people die as a result of the fire at a nursing home in Quakers Hill, Sydney on Friday. Four of our Chaplains are deployed. Shock seared, soot stained survivors stare from stretchers as ambulance personnel tend to them. Many more lie in intensive care fighting for their lives. Wide eyed, frightened, wrinkled faces search for reassurance.

Job sits in the ashes of despair. He understands such tragedy. He lost ten of his children in one day. He lost his career, his wealth, health and support of his wife and friends. While He is suffering excruciating pain from a terminal disease, his friends badger him, saying that God is punishing him because he has sinned.

Fridges, washing machines, large bookcases and a host of heavy objects later, we are here. The hired truck must be returned today and my bones are weary. Ben and Mike are heroes. This is our twenty first place of residence. 4.15 am and I sit at the dining room table. Study is filled with boxes of books waiting for release.

At present I perceive my world according to my pain among the chaos of the boxes, but that’s a limited perception of the multiple layers of my life. What you see, hear, taste, touch and smell describes only this moment and even then not adequately. So too with Job.

Insistent demands from Elihu break the silence of my morning as I explore Job 34. What do I need today that would give me heaven’s perspective on earths dilemmas?…

WISDOM

Elihu – “Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge.” (Job 34:1-2 NLT) Is this sarcasm? He calls them wise but I get the distinct impression that he thinks he is the only wise person on hand. “Listen to me! Listen to me!” Lord give me wisdom tempered with a little humility.

DISCERNMENT

“What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water?” (Job 34:7 NIV). Elihu speaks of Job drinking up scorn like a camel drinks water. Camels can store a large amount of water for a journey and Elihu says that Job is bottling up irreverence, arrogance, rebellion. Is this PROJECTION? Elihu likes to quote Job but anger and conceit make unsubstantiated JUDGMENTS and interpret Job’s honesty as irreverence. He accuses Job of keeping company with evil people (Job 34:7-8). Notice that the only company around at the time are the four of them who seem determined to make wild accusations, lacking real discernment? Who’s calling who a camel drinking up scorn!

Job says, “The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.” (Job 34:3 NLT). Discernment is like the senses, but it is different. Discernment helps me perceive that which cannot be seen, felt, heard … I can hear words but fail to test their meaning. I can see a man covered in boils but my senses will not help me discern the unseen world of his predicament. Lord give me discernment unshackled from baseless judgment.

TEACHABILITY.

“So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us LEARN TOGETHER what is good.” (Job 34:4 NLT). Ever met someone who says he wants to learn TOGETHER and then hogs the conversation. That’s Elihu.

Battery has 8 minutes left. Mad rush to find lead to plug into wall. Learn from others. Be more inclusive, recharge my battery by learning from others who can SPEAK INTO MY LIFE without the encumbrance of my DEFENSIVENESS.

The invitation is to see things from heaven’s perspective, to remain open to that which is beyond my senses and ask for God to intervene into my circumstances with heaven’s wisdom, heaven’s discernment, heaven’s resources to meet the challenges of the day.  

Pastor Ross