Pauses for Lent Day 35
Pauses for Lent by Trevor Hudson
Word for Day 35: JUDGE
Scripture: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.” Matthew 7:1
We have the tendency to judge others. Often we judge others for faults that we struggle with ourselves. Rather than face these things in our own lives, we see them in those around us.
Jesus addresses our judgmental habits head-on in Matthew’s Gospel by saying, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (7:3) Jesus explains that we must first take the log out of our own eye and then we will be able to see the speck in the other person’s eye more clearly.
Lent can be a time to confront the logs in our own eyes, to name them, and to call on the Lord for help removing them. Something beautiful happens when we do this: We become less judgmental, more gentle, and more understanding of the struggles that others face. In a word, we become compassionate.
Comment from Marie: My undergraduate degree is in psychology and sociology. Consequently, I learned about projection - the phenomenon where the feelings one has toward themselves are unconsciously placed on others. Projection is a defense mechanism whereby “inside” content is mistaken to be coming from the “outside.” While I never thought of it before, today's word makes me think that Jesus is addressing this tendency of ours in both scriptures cited from Matthew. What are your thoughts on today’s word?
Word for Day 35: JUDGE
Scripture: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.” Matthew 7:1
We have the tendency to judge others. Often we judge others for faults that we struggle with ourselves. Rather than face these things in our own lives, we see them in those around us.
Jesus addresses our judgmental habits head-on in Matthew’s Gospel by saying, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (7:3) Jesus explains that we must first take the log out of our own eye and then we will be able to see the speck in the other person’s eye more clearly.
Lent can be a time to confront the logs in our own eyes, to name them, and to call on the Lord for help removing them. Something beautiful happens when we do this: We become less judgmental, more gentle, and more understanding of the struggles that others face. In a word, we become compassionate.
Comment from Marie: My undergraduate degree is in psychology and sociology. Consequently, I learned about projection - the phenomenon where the feelings one has toward themselves are unconsciously placed on others. Projection is a defense mechanism whereby “inside” content is mistaken to be coming from the “outside.” While I never thought of it before, today's word makes me think that Jesus is addressing this tendency of ours in both scriptures cited from Matthew. What are your thoughts on today’s word?
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