Matt 7.1-5
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother,’Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of our own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.’Luke 17.1-4
And He said to His disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins,rebuke him and if he repents, forgive him,and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘i repent’ you must forgive him.”
People, very often, use Matt 7.1-2 in response to a person who rebukes them for their behaviour. Whilst in Luke 17.3, Jesus says “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents forgive him,“. To these two verses, what are we to say? That they are a contradiction? Not true! As I happened to be reading these two passages today, God showed me that they in fact work together.
In Matt 7.1-5, this is the context: Jesus is describing the state of Pharisees; how they have not looked at the same sins within themselves before pointing (in order to gain “power, holiness” over people ), they do not believe but merely point out to gain “higher ground”. In the passages Matt 5-7.27 – Jesus describes the practitioner who practises righteousness in action to gain recognition, the Pharisees who give empty talk but mean not what they say, the people who seek pleasures on the earth (for the Pharisees love money: Luke 16.14), amongst others. This is Jesus’ reply: “You are those who justify yourselves among men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted amont men is an abomination in the sight of God.“- Luke 16.15
In Luke 17.1-4, Jesus said to His disciples how they are to behave amongst one another. To rebuke to return your brother from the path of sin and back to the way.Rather then pointing our fingers at them, we are to “wash their feet” as this is helping to keep them accountable to their calling in Christ. However, because we may be stumbled or offended by their sin and their response to our rebuke, we are to forgive them as long as they repent.
In comparison between the two- one seeks self-gain, the other seeks no gain but to keep their brothers accountable. For this is to practise what we preach, in rebuking them we are exhibiting true love among brothers. For in not rebuking them, we are allowing them to sin against the Spirit with no one but the Spirit Himself to bring them back to the way. We love the Called with the love of Christ, therefore we do not want them to fall away- this is therefore the love of Christ, seeking none of self but that God may be glorified in all that we do.
So rather than shrinking back from rebuking brothers if they are sinning against themselves and not walking in the way (not exhibiting fruits: Matt 12.33-38, Luke 6. 43-45)- we are to lovingly rebuke them when the Spirit prompts.
(This is where i really need God’s strength: i fear rebuking others,”washing their feet” per se. Pray for me please.)
1 Peter 2:7-8
(7) Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ” The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” (8) and ” A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
