Peo\u00adp\u00adle tend to look down on others and judge their beha\u00adviour, lives, etc. This is often done out of sheer arro\u00adgan\u00adce to boost their own self-esteem. This is often done out of sheer arro\u00adgan\u00adce to increase their own self-esteem. Jesus asks us to start with our\u00adsel\u00adves first. We are to reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the bars in our lives and stop doing so. In doing so, we rea\u00adli\u00adse that it is impos\u00adsi\u00adble for us humans to live up to the high stan\u00addard of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount. This in turn dri\u00adves us into the arms of Jesus Christ, who mer\u00adciful\u00adly accepts us.<\/p>\n
Over\u00adco\u00adming one\u2019s own (reli\u00adgious) arrogance Admit\u00adting the beam in one\u2019s own eye Let Jesus open your eyes Pos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group \tWhe\u00adre are you in dan\u00adger of jud\u00adging other peo\u00adp\u00adle? Why are you in dan\u00adger of doing so? Peo\u00adp\u00adle tend to look down on others and judge their beha\u00adviour, lives, etc. This is often done out of sheer arro\u00adgan\u00adce to boost their own self-esteem. This is often done out of sheer arro\u00adgan\u00adce to increase their own self-esteem. Jesus asks us to start with our\u00adsel\u00adves first. We are to reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the bars in our lives and stop doing so. In doing so, we rea\u00adli\u00adse that it is impos\u00adsi\u00adble for us humans.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3702","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\n\u00abStop con\u00addem\u00adning others and you will not be con\u00addem\u00adned\u00bb (Matthew 7:1 NLB<\/span>). This sen\u00adtence of Jesus can cau\u00adse us eit\u00adher gre\u00adat reli\u00adef, but also shaking of the head. Reli\u00adef for peo\u00adp\u00adle who suf\u00adfer from others poin\u00adting out what is wrong with their beha\u00adviour or their way of life. Reli\u00adef, becau\u00adse this sen\u00adtence remo\u00adves any accoun\u00adta\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. I do what I like is the mot\u00adto. This state\u00adment cau\u00adses shaking of the heads of tho\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle who per\u00adcei\u00adve the grie\u00advan\u00adces in the world and in the lives of others. Hel\u00adpful\u00adly, they say what is on the tip of their ton\u00adgue. Sin\u00adce we do not live alo\u00adne in this world, it is neces\u00adsa\u00adry that others are brought onto the right path. Shaking their heads, as any rebu\u00adke is now forbidden.
\nToo often and too quick\u00adly, such a short-cir\u00adcuit is drawn. But pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly both inten\u00adti\u00adons, that of lais\u00adsez fai\u00adre and that of the mora\u00adli\u00adzer, are not meant here. If we are not to judge, this does not mean that we are not allo\u00adwed to say any\u00adthing to the other per\u00adson. The cru\u00adcial thing is the atti\u00adtu\u00adde behind it. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, peo\u00adp\u00adle who fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ are very good at say\u00ading what others do not do well. Very quick\u00adly it beco\u00admes clear what fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are against, but what they are for usual\u00adly remains some\u00adwhe\u00adre in the dark. They right\u00adly assu\u00adme that ever\u00ady\u00adthing that would be con\u00addem\u00adnable about them has been for\u00adgi\u00adven by Jesus. But this does not mean that they are allo\u00adwed to act as jud\u00adges them\u00adsel\u00adves. Nor does it mean that ever\u00ady\u00adthing is going well in their lives. They still live in the ten\u00adsi\u00adon of \u00abin this world, but not of this world\u00bb. By con\u00addem\u00adning others, they say much more about them\u00adsel\u00adves than about the con\u00addem\u00adned. This shows that they them\u00adsel\u00adves have not yet pro\u00adper\u00adly gras\u00adped the for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness in Jesus Christ. \u00abGod did not send his Son into the world to con\u00addemn it, but to save it through his Son\u00bb (John 3:17 NLB<\/span>).
\nIn Matthew 7:1, do not judge means do not exalt yours\u00adelf over others. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus in par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar are in dan\u00adger of jud\u00adging each other. But the injunc\u00adtion not to do so includes seve\u00adral are\u00adas. Moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon, becau\u00adse we humans do not know the moti\u00adves behind what someone does. But God sees the heart and tests it (Pro\u00adverbs 17:3). Becau\u00adse of what we see (John 7:24; James 2:1\u20134). Peo\u00adp\u00adle who are quicker to have a guil\u00adty con\u00adsci\u00adence (Romans 14:1\u20135). The minis\u00adtry of other Chris\u00adti\u00adans, sin\u00adce all gifts come from God (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 12:1\u201311). Most fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly, as fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus, do not speak ill of other fol\u00adlo\u00adwers (James 4:11). Rather, mutu\u00adal love is to be a distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhing mark (John 13:34\u201335). When jud\u00adge\u00adment is refrai\u00adned from, it also has a posi\u00adti\u00adve side effect. \u00abFor others will tre\u00adat you as you tre\u00adat them. The stan\u00addard by which you judge others will also be appli\u00aded to you when you are jud\u00adged\u00bb (Matthew 7:2 NLB<\/span>). For as a rule, the high stan\u00addard expec\u00adted of others is not appli\u00aded to ones\u00adelf and usual\u00adly can\u00adnot be met.
\nThe pro\u00adhi\u00adbi\u00adti\u00adon to rebu\u00adke others does not mean that all is well with the other. But the pre\u00adro\u00adga\u00adti\u00adve to judge belongs to God. For \u00abOnly God, who gave the law, can judge righ\u00adteous\u00adly. Only he has the power to save or to des\u00adtroy. So what right do you have to judge your neigh\u00adbour?\u00bb (James 4:12 NLB<\/span>). On the one hand this is a limi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon, but on the other hand it is also a huge com\u00adfort. So many wrongs hap\u00adpen in our lives and in the world, but I know that one day God will hold ever\u00adyo\u00adne accoun\u00adta\u00adble. So I don\u2019t have to take reven\u00adge, but I can trust in God.<\/p>\n
\nAfter Jesus had spo\u00adken about not jud\u00adging, he beco\u00admes more spe\u00adci\u00adfic. In the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing exam\u00adp\u00adle, he descri\u00adbes the human ten\u00adden\u00adcy to spot the smal\u00adlest fault in other peo\u00adp\u00adle and point it out to them, but to over\u00adlook the same fault in ones\u00adelf. \u00abWhy are you upset about a splin\u00adter in your neighbour\u2019s eye when you yours\u00adelf have a beam in your eye? By what right do you say: My fri\u00adend, come, I will help you pull the mote out of your eye, when you can\u00adnot see bey\u00adond the beam in your own eye? You hypo\u00adcri\u00adte! First pull the beam out of your own eye; then per\u00adhaps you will see enough to deal with the mote in your friend\u2019s eye\u00bb (Matthew 7:3\u20135 NLB<\/span>). In the case of both peo\u00adp\u00adle addres\u00adsed, it con\u00adcerns the eye. So it is a very sen\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adve organ. Even one eyelash in the eye is extre\u00adme\u00adly dis\u00adtur\u00adbing and leads to the who\u00adle body no lon\u00adger func\u00adtio\u00adning pro\u00adper\u00adly. Only when the eyelash has been remo\u00adved does life get bet\u00adter again. But the eye is not only very sen\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adve, it is also the organ that we noti\u00adce most when we speak. Things that we noti\u00adce nega\u00adtively in our coun\u00adter\u00adparts are also often on the sur\u00adface. They are weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses that are often quick\u00adly noti\u00adced. But Jesus Christ asks his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers to look at them\u00adsel\u00adves first. Yes, he calls tho\u00adse who first see the fault in others hypo\u00adcri\u00adtes, i.e. peo\u00adp\u00adle who pre\u00adtend some\u00adthing to others. They are peo\u00adp\u00adle who cri\u00adti\u00adcise some\u00adthing they them\u00adsel\u00adves can\u00adnot con\u00adtrol. The theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan Adolf Schlat\u00adter says the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing in his com\u00admen\u00adta\u00adry on this bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adge: \u00abIt is hypo\u00adcri\u00adsy to fight evil in others and not in ones\u00adelf. Jesus does not for\u00adbid hel\u00adping one\u2019s neigh\u00adbour to remo\u00adve the splin\u00adter. He does, howe\u00adver, call for the rem\u00adoval of one\u2019s own beam first.
\nIn psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgy, the phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adnon of see\u00ading a defi\u00adcit in the other per\u00adson, which is also per\u00adcei\u00adved but not admit\u00adted, is cal\u00adled pro\u00adjec\u00adtion. One\u2019s own ina\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty may be grea\u00adter, but it is blan\u00adked out. This does not mean that the other per\u00adson has done not\u00adhing wrong, but it does mean that ever\u00adyo\u00adne should start with them\u00adsel\u00adves. The first thing to do is to look for the beam in one\u2019s life. It may be that one has alre\u00ada\u00addy beco\u00adme so accus\u00adto\u00admed to a bad habit that this is no lon\u00adger per\u00adcei\u00adved so stron\u00adgly. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ must rea\u00adli\u00adse that they have been set free by Jesus, but this does not mean that they are no lon\u00adger guil\u00adty of any\u00adthing. They too have bars in their lives and the\u00adse need to be iden\u00adti\u00adfied. The\u00adse can be addic\u00adtions, depen\u00adden\u00adci\u00ades, bad habits, but also pri\u00adde, arro\u00adgan\u00adce and lack of love. The first step to impro\u00adve\u00adment is to admit to ones\u00adelf that one is not per\u00adfect \u2013 and to accept this. After the beam in one\u2019s life has been detec\u00adted, it must be actively remo\u00adved. Depen\u00adding on the situa\u00adti\u00adon, this can be a long and pain\u00adful pro\u00adcess. Often the lar\u00adgest beams are nee\u00added to sup\u00adport one\u2019s own life and to build the house of life. Here it is neces\u00adsa\u00adry to remo\u00adve the beam and let Jesus Christ in. Other\u00adwi\u00adse, the\u00adre is a gre\u00adat dan\u00adger that one beam will be remo\u00adved, but the gap will be fil\u00adled by ano\u00adther beam. If fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus remo\u00adve a beam in their lives, the\u00adre is a gre\u00adat dan\u00adger that arro\u00adgan\u00adce and pri\u00adde, ins\u00adtead of love, will fill the gap.
\nAs alre\u00ada\u00addy men\u00adtio\u00adned, Jesus does not for\u00adbid remo\u00adving the mote in my neighbour\u2019s eye once my own beam has been remo\u00adved. \u00abJesus does not want to for\u00adbid us to be hel\u00adpful to one ano\u00adther, to let go of our evil\u00bb (Adolf Schlat\u00adter). The term neigh\u00adbour goes back to the Hebrew con\u00adcept mea\u00adning a clo\u00adse per\u00adson. It is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre a per\u00adson with whom a rela\u00adti\u00adonship exists. It is allo\u00adwed to advi\u00adse, sup\u00adport and help each other, but it should not be jud\u00adged. Yes, it is even good when peo\u00adp\u00adle are allo\u00adwed to speak into each other\u2019s lives. But this requi\u00adres mutu\u00adal consent.<\/p>\n
\nWith today\u2019s ser\u00admon on the first five ver\u00adses of Matthew seven, we start into a second part of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount. Matthew five and six were pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly about the rela\u00adti\u00adonship with our hea\u00adven\u00adly Father and the rela\u00adti\u00adonship with ones\u00adelf. This was in the fore\u00adground. Chap\u00adter seven is first about beha\u00adviour towards fel\u00adlow human beings. If the pre\u00advious two chap\u00adters were alre\u00ada\u00addy chal\u00adlen\u00adging in that they descri\u00adbed a cer\u00adtain stan\u00addard of fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus, now it is very spe\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adcal\u00adly about doing. This is defi\u00adni\u00adte\u00adly the end of a pas\u00adsi\u00adve atti\u00adtu\u00adde. Here we get down to the nit\u00adty-grit\u00adty. Here comes the con\u00adcre\u00adte call. Eit\u00adher what we have heard is put into prac\u00adti\u00adce or we deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly oppo\u00adse Jesus. This is also the case in our five ver\u00adses. Eit\u00adher we are rea\u00addy to remo\u00adve the beam in our eye, that is, to work con\u00adcre\u00adte\u00adly on and in our lives, or we lea\u00adve it alo\u00adne. But tho\u00adse who remain arro\u00adgant sub\u00admit them\u00adsel\u00adves to the jud\u00adge\u00adment of God, who will mea\u00adsu\u00adre with the same yard\u00adstick as they them\u00adsel\u00adves have applied.
\nAs fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus, we want to beco\u00adme more and more like him. Yes, we want to be chan\u00adged more and more into what Jesus thinks of us. Jesus con\u00addem\u00adned very litt\u00adle, and if he did, it was only tho\u00adse who were too proud to admit the beam in their eyes. Jesus does not con\u00addemn you, but wants you to remo\u00adve the beam. The mes\u00adsa\u00adge of the who\u00adle Ser\u00admon on the Mount is that we should beco\u00adme more like Jesus and live our lives accor\u00adding to him. This also rai\u00adses the ques\u00adti\u00adon of how the mes\u00adsa\u00adge of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount is clas\u00adsi\u00adfied. On the one hand, the inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon as an ent\u00adrance ticket is obvious. This means that a ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of all the demands is pos\u00adsi\u00adble for us human beings. Accor\u00addin\u00adgly, the ticket for hea\u00adven is bought by kee\u00adping ever\u00ady\u00adthing as well as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. On the other hand, the demands can be clas\u00adsi\u00adfied as unat\u00adtainable for peo\u00adp\u00adle, even fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ. No mat\u00adter how hard peo\u00adp\u00adle try, they can\u00adnot meet the high ide\u00adal of Matthew five and six.
\nAs much as we might want the first to be right, it is the second. We can\u00adnot live up to the ide\u00adals. We can\u00adnot do all this by our own efforts. This can lead us to des\u00adpair, pri\u00adde or arro\u00adgan\u00adce, or into the open arms of Jesus Christ. He stands with open arms and says \u00abCome unto me, all ye that are wea\u00adry and hea\u00advy laden, and I will give you rest\u00bb (Matthew 11:28). Being a fol\u00adlower of Jesus is not about rea\u00adching a mini\u00admum stan\u00addard in the sen\u00adse of from then on enough, but it is about let\u00adting Jesus chan\u00adge your cha\u00adrac\u00adter in school. It is about being trans\u00adfor\u00admed by Jesus Christ into the image He has desi\u00adgned for us.
\nEspe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly for peo\u00adp\u00adle who have been wal\u00adking with Jesus Christ for a long time, the\u00adre is a dan\u00adger that we no lon\u00adger per\u00adcei\u00adve the beam in our eye. So peo\u00adp\u00adle try hard to earn their own ticket to hea\u00adven. This is dou\u00adbly unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte. First\u00adly, we can\u00adnot earn our way into hea\u00adven and second\u00adly, we miss the chan\u00adce to expe\u00adri\u00adence hea\u00adven alre\u00ada\u00addy here on this earth by run\u00adning into the open arms of Jesus Christ. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, it is wort\u00adhwhile to come to Jesus in pray\u00ader and ask him to open your eyes to yours\u00adelf so that you can see which beam you should remo\u00adve. We can\u00adnot earn hea\u00adven, even if we remo\u00adve thou\u00adsands of bars in our lives. But when we are in Jesus\u00bb arms, then the chan\u00adge beg\u00adins in our heart and we reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse which beam we should sepa\u00adra\u00adte from.<\/p>\n
\nRead the Bible text: Matthew 7:1\u20135<\/p>\n
\n\tWas the\u00adre alre\u00ada\u00addy a bar in your life that you had suc\u00adcessful\u00adly remo\u00adved? How did you mana\u00adge to do this?
\n\tWhe\u00adre are the\u00adre are\u00adas in your life that you should address? Is it bet\u00adter to seek help?
\n\tWould it be appro\u00adpria\u00adte for you to give a per\u00adson per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon to speak into your life? What pre\u00advents you from doing so? What would be the conditions?
\n\tHow do you inter\u00adpret the mes\u00adsa\u00adge of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount? As an ent\u00adrance ticket or as unat\u00adtainable? What impact does this have on your life?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"