“The problem with eye sight”

           The process of discipleship is a process of vision correction.

           Last week I share about our “spiritual reality”. Sometimes we need to correct how we see ourselves and others.

         “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)

          Many people only see what they like to see, and only listen to what they like to hear. When it comes to this passage people can abuse this by saying, “See! Don’t judge what I’m doing!”, but the key to this passage is asking you to reflect on yourself, not to use it for shutting other people up!

          It is true that as we look at others and the world, it is so easy to comment on and  judge another’s action. To use what we know as a measurement for others, as opposed to measuring our being and action.

          Discipleship is not merely about knowing, but about being. “First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Unless our lives have experienced transformation from Jesus, it’s hard to teach others about the way of Jesus. If we are experiencing the transformation of Jesus, it humbles us and helps us see our true self. The result? We will be less prone to judge, or be harsh on others too quickly. 

            屬靈視野的毛病

        建立門徒的過程其實就是屬靈視野改正的過程。

        上星期我分享過關於「屬靈實況」的事。但有時候我們也需要糾正我們對自己及對別人的看法。

      3 為什麼看見你弟兄眼中有刺，卻不想自己眼中有樑木呢？ 4 你自己眼中有樑木，怎能對你弟兄說
『容我去掉你眼中的刺』呢？ 5 你這假冒為善 的人！先去掉自己眼中的樑木，然後才能看得清楚，
去掉你弟兄眼中的刺。 (馬太福音 7:3-5)

        許多人只會看見自己想看的事物，及只會聽見自己所愛聽的事。當我們讀以上的一段經文時， 往往會以此濫用作為叫別人不要批評自己的借口，「正如經文所說，請不要批評或論斷我所作的!」但這段經文的重點卻是叫我們作出自我反醒，並不是叫別人閉嘴，將別人拒諸門外!

        事實上當我們環顧別人及世界所發生的事件，會很容易就對別人的行為常常加以評論及批評；往往只是以自己所知的有限智識來作為量度別人的標準，對自己的個人行為卻不以然。 建立門徒不只是僅限於頭腦上的智識，而是關乎我們的行為見證。「先去掉自己眼中的樑木，然後才能看得清楚，去掉你弟兄眼中的刺。」 除非是我們的生命先經歷過主耶穌基督改變的大能，否則我們很難向別人教導主耶穌的道理。倘若我們能夠真正經歷主耶穌的改變大能時，祂會讓我們謙卑下來，能夠幫助我們看到真我; 結果將會是什麼? 我們反而就不會那麼容易地急於論斷及批評別人。