CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER


Lesson Six

DO NOT LOOK AT THE SPLINTER IN YOUR BROTHER'S EYE

TOC

Burden to Impart:

As children of the heavenly Father we should not criticize others.

Memory Verse:

 		"And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not consider the log in your own eye?" (Mathew 7:3).

Facts to Teach:

  1. Since Adam disobeyed God in the garden, sinned, and fell, every human being began to have faults. We all have faults. Adam even told God that his wife was actually the cause of his failure, that Eve was really the one to blame. So we can see that we are not the first ones to see others' faults.
  2. What is our attitude when we see some faults in another person? Do we desire to help them? Whenever we see someone's faults, shortcomings, or mistakes, we usually criticize him and tell him how wrong he is, or how bad a mistake he has made. Perhaps we don't realize or understand that we can hurt people by doing this. When we speak or criticize in a way that only exposes others we do not help them. We damage them.
  3. Some people think they are very smart because they can see many faults in others. However, it is very easy to see other s faults, yet not see our own. I may judge someone for certain faults that he has without even realizing that I do the same things, and sometimes even worse. This is the reason the Lord spoke such a parable in Matthew 7:3. He wanted us to realize when we see the faults of another person, we may have even worse ones. Moreover, we must consider, what kind of concern do I really have? Is it to help my brother, or just to criticize him? If we are truly desirous of helping him we will first remove the log in our own eye (that is, we will first acknowledge our own shortcomings, faults, and failures). Otherwise we will only criticize others without helping them.

Song: John 13:34-35 (Hymns 1342)

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