Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, August 3, 2023)
WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
A lamp or a candle may be lit.
You, O Lord, are my lamp;
my God, you make my darkness bright.
The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
As this evening hymn is sung, more lamps and candles may be lit.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Susan Briehl’s “Let Evening Fall.”
1 Let evening fall on field and forest,
on desert mesa, canyon deep;
let coyote prowl and night hawk circle
while solemn owl her wise watch keeps.
*2 Let mountain now resound with chanting,
and meadow echo antiphon;
let dusky breezes rustle aspen
while lake and land join even-song.
3 Let those who labor in the daylight
now bring their working to an end;
let others rise to keep the vigil,
the weak to guard, the sick to tend.
4 Let every heart that harbors hatred
(Let every heart that harbors hatred)
release its hold, receive your grace;
(release its hold, receive your grace;)
let every mouth that spoke in anger
(let every mouth that spoke in anger)
seek pardon’s peace, then sing your praise.
(seek pardon’s peace, then sing your praise.)
5 Let daylight fade and shadows lengthen
when those we love draw near to death;
Attend our prayers, our weak faith strengthen
as you receive their final breath.
6 O Maker of creation’s choir,
O Song of love sung out for all,
O Spirit, breath of all our singing,
Let praise arise, let evening fall.
*Omitted on the video.
As we recall our disobedience to God's commandments and our failure to do his will; let us bow our heads and confess our sins to God our Father:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Lynn Deshazo’s “Ancient Words.”
1 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.
2 Words of life, words of hope
give us strength, help us cope;
In this world where'er we roam
ancient words will guide us home.
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.
3 Holy words of our faith
handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice;
Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ.
4 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart,
oh let the ancient words impart.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
God of mercy,
you have blessed us beyond our dreams;
you have set before us promises and perils
beyond our understanding;
help us to struggle and pray
that the perils may be averted
and your promises fulfilled.
Hear this prayer for your love’s sake.
Amen.
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD
A reading from the New Testament (Matthew 7:1-5)
“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.
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 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.
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
When people interpret the words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in today's reading, they are apt to swing toward one of two poles. The first position is that they are a blanket prohibition against passing judgment on other people and saying whether we think that they are good or bad or what they are saying or doing is right or wrong. The second position rejects the first position and argues on the basis on what Jesus said about the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law and various passages from the Old Testament and the New Testament that we are able to pass judgment on other people and what they say and do. Some individuals who take this position even go as far as arguing on the same basis that it is acceptable to be judgmental, quickly forming an opinion of other people and expressing disapproval of them.
To properly make sense of what Jesus is saying at this point in the Sermon on the Mount and how it applies to us, it is important to remember that Jesus is able to know and understand the deepest thoughts and desires of other people in a way that we cannot. We also need to consider what he says after saying “Do not judge others…,” from “and you will not be judged” to “then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye,” as well as what Jesus says elsewhere in the Gospels.
Jesus, unlike us, is able to see people’s real or private character. We, on the other hand, are only able to see their personas, the particular type of character that they appear to have. We may at best see glimpses of their true self in unguarded moments. Otherwise, all we see is their social façade or front, which masks from public gaze who they really are. We may try to guess their true self, based upon their words, actions, ad non-verbal cues. While our guesses may come close, they may also be way off.
Unless they trust us enough to disclose more of themselves to us, we will not know as much about them as we might like. For various reasons, they may choose to keep parts of themselves hidden from us and even from themselves. Consequently, the opinions of them we form and the decisions about them we make may be based upon very sketchy information. Indeed, they may be based more upon our anxieties, fears, and other feelings; our biases; our cognitive distortions; and figments of our fertile imaginations.
Our feelings can strongly influence how we perceive someone. The words and actions of that person or the situation may trigger feelings in us, which affect our perceptions of the person. The person may remind us of someone else with whom we and a traumatic experience. Our feelings can cloud our judgment in other ways. We are apt to overlook or downplay the harmful behavior of someone to whom we are sexually attracted or have a romantic interest.
Biases are pre-existing opinions of various categories or groups of people which may influence our judgment in an unfair way. We may not recognize them for what we are. We may make assumptions about an individual and draw conclusions about that person because we have consciously or unconsciously pigeonholed the person into a particular category or group of people. Rather than respond to the person as an individual, a unique human being, we respond to the person as a type.
One of the most common biases is what is called the “negativity bias.” Psychologists tell us that it is hardwired into the human brain and may at one time have helped human beings to survive. Negativity bias is the tendency to pay attention to negative information, learn from it, and us it far more than positive information. We are more likely to focus on bad things that happen than good things. We are also more likely to have negative perceptions of people and situations than we are positive ones.
Cognitive distortions are distorted ways of thinking. Dr. Peter Grinspoon in a Harvard Health article, “How to recognize and tame your cognitive distortions,” identifies a number of major cognitive distortions. He notes that our brains develop shortcuts to cut down on the burden of continually processing lots of information. Depending upon the circumstances these short cuts can be helpful. However, in the case of these cognitive distortions they do more harm than good. He further notes that some of the major cognitive distortions overlap.
Black-and-white (or all-or-nothing) thinking: “I never have anything interesting to say.”
Jumping to conclusions (or mind-reading): “The doctor is going to tell me I have cancer.”
Personalization: “Our team lost because of me.”
Should-ing and must-ing (using language that is self-critical that puts a lot of pressure on you): “I should be losing weight.”
Mental filter (focusing on the negative, such as the one aspect of a health change which you didn't do well): “I am terrible at getting enough sleep.”
Overgeneralization: “I'll never find a partner.”
Magnification and minimization (magnifying the negative, minimizing the positive): “It was just one healthy meal.”
Fortune-telling: “My cholesterol is going to be sky-high.”
Comparison (comparing just one part of your performance or situation to another's, which you don't really know, so that it makes you appear in a negative light): “All of my coworkers are happier than me.”
Catastrophizing (combination of fortune-telling and all-or-nothing thinking; blowing things out of proportion): “This spot on my skin is probably skin cancer; I'll be dead soon.”
Labeling: “I'm just not a healthy person.”
Disqualifying the positive: “I answered that well, but it was a lucky guess.”
Our brains, when they do not have a lot of information about someone will also think up imaginary details about that person. They will create a mental image of the person which has very little, if any connection, with how the person really is.
While Jesus did not speak in these terms, his responses to people and situations do suggest that he had a thorough grasp of human psychology. He understood what was going on inside people’ heads, what their intentions and motives were. For example, he recognized that the actions of the Pharisees were not to honor God but to obtain the praise and admiration of their fellow Jews.
We, on the other hand, are not as perceptive as Jesus and we are far more likely to make mistakes in judgment. We also carry a lot of motional baggage, “unfinished emotional issues, stressors, pain, and difficulties we’ve experienced that continue to take up space in our minds and affect our present relationships.”
I do not think that I am wrong in believing that Jesus was mindful of his disciples’ limitations when he gave them the instructions in today’s reading. In the light of what we now know about how the human brain works and how we may perceive other people, what Jesus taught the disciples makes a lot of sense.
We need to keep an open mind about other people and not make decisions about them or form opinions of them, based upon a particular attitude or way of thinking or behavior they may exhibit. We also need to question the accuracy of our perceptions of them.
I draw attention these factors because they provide context for Jesus’ instructions. While Jesus’ disciples may have lived in a different culture and time than our own and had different biases from our own, they were also like us in a number of ways. They were fallible humans like us. One of them, Judas Iscariot, would betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
The hypocrisy, legalism, and self-righteousness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law, which Jesus drew to the attention of his disciple and the multitude, also provide context. Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples against imitating their attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior.
With these considerations in mind, let us now take look at the meaning of what Jesus is saying in today’s reading.
“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.”
In this passage Jesus appears to be warning his disciples about being too quick to make decisions about others and to form opinions of them without knowing the person or the situation. What he appears to be telling the disciples is that in making decisions about others and forming opinions of them, his disciples need to follow his teachings and show forgiveness, generosity, and kindness to them, qualities of character that Jesus himself displayed. They need to treat others as they would wish to be treated and not be eager to condemn them. They need to make allowances when allowances are warranted. They also need to give others the benefit of the doubt, believing good things about others, rather than bad things when they have the possibility of doing either.
Put another way, they need to temper their judgment with mercy.
If they are unpleasant, unkind, cruel, or more severe than necessary in their treatment of others, they can expect to be treated in the same way. They will get back the measure that they gave.
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 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.”
In this passage Jesus addresses an all too common human tendency to find fault with others and to magnify their flaws and shortcomings while ignoring or downplaying our own. He uses an illustration that is taken from the daily lives of the Jews of the time, perhaps even from his wn early years.
Joseph, the husband of Jesus’ mother, Mary, was a carpenter by trade. He appears to have taught his trade to Jesus since Jesus himself is referred to as a carpenter in Mark 6:3. Jesus would have been familiar with lumber, saws, and the dust that a hand saw can produce. Carpenters did not wear protective eye gear in those days and sometimes accidentally got a fleck of sawdust in an eye as they were sawing. Or the wind blew sawdust in an eye from a heap of sawdust on the floor of their workshop. In the ancient Mid-East workshops were usually open-air, depending upon natural light and natural ventilation.
It is also not uncommon for people to focus on the real or imagined flaws of others as a way of keeping from facing up to their own. Their flaws, however, may be far greater than the flaws of others to which they are giving a lot of their attention. Indeed, the speck in the friend’s eye may be a figment of the imagination. It may be one of their own flaws that they are seeing in someone else. Psychologists call this phenomenon, “projection.”. Projection is a psychological defense mechanism where we see in others what is really within ourselves.
Jesus is not saying that it is wrong to admonish someone when they need admonishing, giving them a piece of advice that is also a warning to that person about their attitude, way of thinking, or behavior. But he is saying that we need to take care of our own faults, mistakes, and weaknesses before offering to help someone else correct theirs.
He is also not saying that we must get our own act completely together before we can offer to help someone else get theirs together. In the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere in the Gospels Jesus emphasizes showing kindness to others, not just those close to us but to everyone.. Being kind means being generous, helpful, and thinking about our people’s feelings.
Someone who is dealing with their own flaws is also more likely to have learned how to help to someone else to deal with theirs than someone who does not recognize that they have any flaws. I do not think that we would be wrong in believing that Jesus understood that.
We are going to make decisions about other people and form opinions of them. I do not believe that we can avoid doing that. If we do not do it consciously, we will do it unconsciously. What Jesus is telling us in so many words is that we need to be more aware of what we are doing and to exercise more care in how we do it. We need to be mindful that what we do will not only affect others but will have consequences for ourselves. We are responsible for not only our words and actions but also for our thoughts and feelings.
We are not responsible for how someone else reacts to what we say and do but we are responsible for what we say or do to trigger their reaction and for thoughts and feelings that prompted us to say or do what we said or did.
If we know someone reasonably well, we also are likely to have a good idea of how they might react to what we say or do. The fact that they are responsible for their thoughts and feelings then does not excuse us from giving thought to how they most likely will react to our words or actions. While Jesus does not tell us to think before we speak or act, what he does tell us conveys that message. Thinking carefully about what we are going to say or do is one of the ways we show our love for others.
Within the body of Jesus’ teaching as recorded in the New Testament, we find guidelines which Jesus gave his disciples on how to relate to other people and each other. They are not the only things that Jesus taught them. They are, however, important in setting a disciple of Jesus apart from everybody else. They also serve as fingerposts, or signposts, pointing down the path which true disciples are to tread.
Jesus does not promise those who follow him an easy life. However, he does provide us with the gift of the Holy Spirit who unites us to him and to each other and a plentiful supply of grace to help us on our journey. The path may be rough in places, and we may grow footsore and weary. But Jesus gives us an arm to lean on, is our friend and companion on the way, and awaits us at journey’s end to welcome us to our heavenly home.
my God, you make my darkness bright.
The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
As this evening hymn is sung, more lamps and candles may be lit.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Susan Briehl’s “Let Evening Fall.”
1 Let evening fall on field and forest,
on desert mesa, canyon deep;
let coyote prowl and night hawk circle
while solemn owl her wise watch keeps.
*2 Let mountain now resound with chanting,
and meadow echo antiphon;
let dusky breezes rustle aspen
while lake and land join even-song.
3 Let those who labor in the daylight
now bring their working to an end;
let others rise to keep the vigil,
the weak to guard, the sick to tend.
4 Let every heart that harbors hatred
(Let every heart that harbors hatred)
release its hold, receive your grace;
(release its hold, receive your grace;)
let every mouth that spoke in anger
(let every mouth that spoke in anger)
seek pardon’s peace, then sing your praise.
(seek pardon’s peace, then sing your praise.)
5 Let daylight fade and shadows lengthen
when those we love draw near to death;
Attend our prayers, our weak faith strengthen
as you receive their final breath.
6 O Maker of creation’s choir,
O Song of love sung out for all,
O Spirit, breath of all our singing,
Let praise arise, let evening fall.
*Omitted on the video.
As we recall our disobedience to God's commandments and our failure to do his will; let us bow our heads and confess our sins to God our Father:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Lynn Deshazo’s “Ancient Words.”
1 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.
2 Words of life, words of hope
give us strength, help us cope;
In this world where'er we roam
ancient words will guide us home.
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.
3 Holy words of our faith
handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice;
Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ.
4 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart,
oh let the ancient words impart.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
God of mercy,
you have blessed us beyond our dreams;
you have set before us promises and perils
beyond our understanding;
help us to struggle and pray
that the perils may be averted
and your promises fulfilled.
Hear this prayer for your love’s sake.
Amen.
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD
A reading from the New Testament (Matthew 7:1-5)
“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.
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 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.
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
What Does Jesus Teach About Not Judging Others?
When people interpret the words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in today's reading, they are apt to swing toward one of two poles. The first position is that they are a blanket prohibition against passing judgment on other people and saying whether we think that they are good or bad or what they are saying or doing is right or wrong. The second position rejects the first position and argues on the basis on what Jesus said about the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law and various passages from the Old Testament and the New Testament that we are able to pass judgment on other people and what they say and do. Some individuals who take this position even go as far as arguing on the same basis that it is acceptable to be judgmental, quickly forming an opinion of other people and expressing disapproval of them.
To properly make sense of what Jesus is saying at this point in the Sermon on the Mount and how it applies to us, it is important to remember that Jesus is able to know and understand the deepest thoughts and desires of other people in a way that we cannot. We also need to consider what he says after saying “Do not judge others…,” from “and you will not be judged” to “then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye,” as well as what Jesus says elsewhere in the Gospels.
Jesus, unlike us, is able to see people’s real or private character. We, on the other hand, are only able to see their personas, the particular type of character that they appear to have. We may at best see glimpses of their true self in unguarded moments. Otherwise, all we see is their social façade or front, which masks from public gaze who they really are. We may try to guess their true self, based upon their words, actions, ad non-verbal cues. While our guesses may come close, they may also be way off.
Unless they trust us enough to disclose more of themselves to us, we will not know as much about them as we might like. For various reasons, they may choose to keep parts of themselves hidden from us and even from themselves. Consequently, the opinions of them we form and the decisions about them we make may be based upon very sketchy information. Indeed, they may be based more upon our anxieties, fears, and other feelings; our biases; our cognitive distortions; and figments of our fertile imaginations.
Our feelings can strongly influence how we perceive someone. The words and actions of that person or the situation may trigger feelings in us, which affect our perceptions of the person. The person may remind us of someone else with whom we and a traumatic experience. Our feelings can cloud our judgment in other ways. We are apt to overlook or downplay the harmful behavior of someone to whom we are sexually attracted or have a romantic interest.
Biases are pre-existing opinions of various categories or groups of people which may influence our judgment in an unfair way. We may not recognize them for what we are. We may make assumptions about an individual and draw conclusions about that person because we have consciously or unconsciously pigeonholed the person into a particular category or group of people. Rather than respond to the person as an individual, a unique human being, we respond to the person as a type.
One of the most common biases is what is called the “negativity bias.” Psychologists tell us that it is hardwired into the human brain and may at one time have helped human beings to survive. Negativity bias is the tendency to pay attention to negative information, learn from it, and us it far more than positive information. We are more likely to focus on bad things that happen than good things. We are also more likely to have negative perceptions of people and situations than we are positive ones.
Cognitive distortions are distorted ways of thinking. Dr. Peter Grinspoon in a Harvard Health article, “How to recognize and tame your cognitive distortions,” identifies a number of major cognitive distortions. He notes that our brains develop shortcuts to cut down on the burden of continually processing lots of information. Depending upon the circumstances these short cuts can be helpful. However, in the case of these cognitive distortions they do more harm than good. He further notes that some of the major cognitive distortions overlap.
Black-and-white (or all-or-nothing) thinking: “I never have anything interesting to say.”
Jumping to conclusions (or mind-reading): “The doctor is going to tell me I have cancer.”
Personalization: “Our team lost because of me.”
Should-ing and must-ing (using language that is self-critical that puts a lot of pressure on you): “I should be losing weight.”
Mental filter (focusing on the negative, such as the one aspect of a health change which you didn't do well): “I am terrible at getting enough sleep.”
Overgeneralization: “I'll never find a partner.”
Magnification and minimization (magnifying the negative, minimizing the positive): “It was just one healthy meal.”
Fortune-telling: “My cholesterol is going to be sky-high.”
Comparison (comparing just one part of your performance or situation to another's, which you don't really know, so that it makes you appear in a negative light): “All of my coworkers are happier than me.”
Catastrophizing (combination of fortune-telling and all-or-nothing thinking; blowing things out of proportion): “This spot on my skin is probably skin cancer; I'll be dead soon.”
Labeling: “I'm just not a healthy person.”
Disqualifying the positive: “I answered that well, but it was a lucky guess.”
Our brains, when they do not have a lot of information about someone will also think up imaginary details about that person. They will create a mental image of the person which has very little, if any connection, with how the person really is.
While Jesus did not speak in these terms, his responses to people and situations do suggest that he had a thorough grasp of human psychology. He understood what was going on inside people’ heads, what their intentions and motives were. For example, he recognized that the actions of the Pharisees were not to honor God but to obtain the praise and admiration of their fellow Jews.
We, on the other hand, are not as perceptive as Jesus and we are far more likely to make mistakes in judgment. We also carry a lot of motional baggage, “unfinished emotional issues, stressors, pain, and difficulties we’ve experienced that continue to take up space in our minds and affect our present relationships.”
I do not think that I am wrong in believing that Jesus was mindful of his disciples’ limitations when he gave them the instructions in today’s reading. In the light of what we now know about how the human brain works and how we may perceive other people, what Jesus taught the disciples makes a lot of sense.
We need to keep an open mind about other people and not make decisions about them or form opinions of them, based upon a particular attitude or way of thinking or behavior they may exhibit. We also need to question the accuracy of our perceptions of them.
I draw attention these factors because they provide context for Jesus’ instructions. While Jesus’ disciples may have lived in a different culture and time than our own and had different biases from our own, they were also like us in a number of ways. They were fallible humans like us. One of them, Judas Iscariot, would betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
The hypocrisy, legalism, and self-righteousness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law, which Jesus drew to the attention of his disciple and the multitude, also provide context. Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples against imitating their attitudes, ways of thinking, and behavior.
With these considerations in mind, let us now take look at the meaning of what Jesus is saying in today’s reading.
“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.”
In this passage Jesus appears to be warning his disciples about being too quick to make decisions about others and to form opinions of them without knowing the person or the situation. What he appears to be telling the disciples is that in making decisions about others and forming opinions of them, his disciples need to follow his teachings and show forgiveness, generosity, and kindness to them, qualities of character that Jesus himself displayed. They need to treat others as they would wish to be treated and not be eager to condemn them. They need to make allowances when allowances are warranted. They also need to give others the benefit of the doubt, believing good things about others, rather than bad things when they have the possibility of doing either.
Put another way, they need to temper their judgment with mercy.
If they are unpleasant, unkind, cruel, or more severe than necessary in their treatment of others, they can expect to be treated in the same way. They will get back the measure that they gave.
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 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.”
In this passage Jesus addresses an all too common human tendency to find fault with others and to magnify their flaws and shortcomings while ignoring or downplaying our own. He uses an illustration that is taken from the daily lives of the Jews of the time, perhaps even from his wn early years.
Joseph, the husband of Jesus’ mother, Mary, was a carpenter by trade. He appears to have taught his trade to Jesus since Jesus himself is referred to as a carpenter in Mark 6:3. Jesus would have been familiar with lumber, saws, and the dust that a hand saw can produce. Carpenters did not wear protective eye gear in those days and sometimes accidentally got a fleck of sawdust in an eye as they were sawing. Or the wind blew sawdust in an eye from a heap of sawdust on the floor of their workshop. In the ancient Mid-East workshops were usually open-air, depending upon natural light and natural ventilation.
It is also not uncommon for people to focus on the real or imagined flaws of others as a way of keeping from facing up to their own. Their flaws, however, may be far greater than the flaws of others to which they are giving a lot of their attention. Indeed, the speck in the friend’s eye may be a figment of the imagination. It may be one of their own flaws that they are seeing in someone else. Psychologists call this phenomenon, “projection.”. Projection is a psychological defense mechanism where we see in others what is really within ourselves.
Jesus is not saying that it is wrong to admonish someone when they need admonishing, giving them a piece of advice that is also a warning to that person about their attitude, way of thinking, or behavior. But he is saying that we need to take care of our own faults, mistakes, and weaknesses before offering to help someone else correct theirs.
He is also not saying that we must get our own act completely together before we can offer to help someone else get theirs together. In the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere in the Gospels Jesus emphasizes showing kindness to others, not just those close to us but to everyone.. Being kind means being generous, helpful, and thinking about our people’s feelings.
Someone who is dealing with their own flaws is also more likely to have learned how to help to someone else to deal with theirs than someone who does not recognize that they have any flaws. I do not think that we would be wrong in believing that Jesus understood that.
We are going to make decisions about other people and form opinions of them. I do not believe that we can avoid doing that. If we do not do it consciously, we will do it unconsciously. What Jesus is telling us in so many words is that we need to be more aware of what we are doing and to exercise more care in how we do it. We need to be mindful that what we do will not only affect others but will have consequences for ourselves. We are responsible for not only our words and actions but also for our thoughts and feelings.
We are not responsible for how someone else reacts to what we say and do but we are responsible for what we say or do to trigger their reaction and for thoughts and feelings that prompted us to say or do what we said or did.
If we know someone reasonably well, we also are likely to have a good idea of how they might react to what we say or do. The fact that they are responsible for their thoughts and feelings then does not excuse us from giving thought to how they most likely will react to our words or actions. While Jesus does not tell us to think before we speak or act, what he does tell us conveys that message. Thinking carefully about what we are going to say or do is one of the ways we show our love for others.
Within the body of Jesus’ teaching as recorded in the New Testament, we find guidelines which Jesus gave his disciples on how to relate to other people and each other. They are not the only things that Jesus taught them. They are, however, important in setting a disciple of Jesus apart from everybody else. They also serve as fingerposts, or signposts, pointing down the path which true disciples are to tread.
Jesus does not promise those who follow him an easy life. However, he does provide us with the gift of the Holy Spirit who unites us to him and to each other and a plentiful supply of grace to help us on our journey. The path may be rough in places, and we may grow footsore and weary. But Jesus gives us an arm to lean on, is our friend and companion on the way, and awaits us at journey’s end to welcome us to our heavenly home.
Silence
WE RESPOND
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ruth Duck’s “Spirit, Open My Heart.”
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
1 God, replace my stony heart
with a heart that's kind and tender.
All my coldness and fear
to your grace I now surrender.
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
2 Write your love upon my heart
as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed,
may my living bring you glory.
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
3 May I weep with those who weep,
share the joy of sister, brother.
In the welcome of Christ,
may we welcome one another.
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
WE PRAY FOR GOD’S WORLD
Let us pray for all people and for the Church throughout the world.
Particular intentions may be mentioned before this prayer, but it is said without interpolation.
Father, we pray for the universal Church;
that we all may be one in Christ.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and
humbly serve you;
that your Name may be glorified by everyone.
We pray for all Christian pastors;
that they may be faithful ministers of your word and
sacraments.
We pray for the spread of the gospel;
that people everywhere may come to know and love you.
We pray for all who govern and exercise authority in the
nations of the world;
that there may be peace and justice among all.
Give us strength to do your will in all that we undertake;
that we may be blessed in all our works.
Have compassion on those who suffer or are in grief or
trouble;
that they may he delivered from their distress.
We praise you for all your saints who have entered into
joy;
may we also share in your heavenly kingdom.
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who taught us to pray,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
WE GO FORTH TO SERVE
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to John Fennelly’s hymn, “Christ Be Near at Either Hand.”
1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand,
Christ with me where e’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.
2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined.
Christ control my wayward heart;
Christ abide and ne’er depart.
3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
guide and shepherd to the end.
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
WE RESPOND
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ruth Duck’s “Spirit, Open My Heart.”
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
1 God, replace my stony heart
with a heart that's kind and tender.
All my coldness and fear
to your grace I now surrender.
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
2 Write your love upon my heart
as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed,
may my living bring you glory.
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
3 May I weep with those who weep,
share the joy of sister, brother.
In the welcome of Christ,
may we welcome one another.
Spirit, open my heart
To the joy and pain of living
As you love may I love
In receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
WE PRAY FOR GOD’S WORLD
Let us pray for all people and for the Church throughout the world.
Particular intentions may be mentioned before this prayer, but it is said without interpolation.
Father, we pray for the universal Church;
that we all may be one in Christ.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and
humbly serve you;
that your Name may be glorified by everyone.
We pray for all Christian pastors;
that they may be faithful ministers of your word and
sacraments.
We pray for the spread of the gospel;
that people everywhere may come to know and love you.
We pray for all who govern and exercise authority in the
nations of the world;
that there may be peace and justice among all.
Give us strength to do your will in all that we undertake;
that we may be blessed in all our works.
Have compassion on those who suffer or are in grief or
trouble;
that they may he delivered from their distress.
We praise you for all your saints who have entered into
joy;
may we also share in your heavenly kingdom.
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who taught us to pray,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
WE GO FORTH TO SERVE
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to John Fennelly’s hymn, “Christ Be Near at Either Hand.”
1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand,
Christ with me where e’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.
2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined.
Christ control my wayward heart;
Christ abide and ne’er depart.
3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
guide and shepherd to the end.
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
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