Introduction: Peter wrote at the beginning of his first epistle ‘To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:’ A song, a negro spiritual I think, says that “This earth is not my home, I’m just a’passin through!” I’m glad that my major citizenship is, due to the Grace of God in Jesus, in Eternity, – living here now but with a ‘passport’ in Heaven! I live ‘dispersed’ into this world where a lot of things and people I love and some make me absolutely nauseated to a point where sometimes it gushes out onto paper!
Matthew 7:1-5 – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment 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 the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
It seems so easy to concentrate on the speck in another’s eye and miss the plank in your own! I can’t find this as a phrase being used before Jesus spoke it but whoever said it first, it encapsulates a very frequent problem for most if not all of us! Certainly it is a problem for me to whom criticizing comes easily! The additional problem for me is that I tend to think that the plank is in their eye and only the tiniest speck of dust in mine! Please, if you read this and see something in my own eye, please guide me in removing it!
Foreign bodies in the eye hurt like h**l! Unless of course you have suffered a total paralysis of the facial nerve on that side. The Fifth Cranial nerve the Facial n. (so called) controls blinking, smiling and facial movements in that side of the face! It fundamentally moves muscles but it provides sensation to the cornea (that central bit of the eye) alone on the face. A small percentage of leprosy patients – but still many people – have lost their sight due to such a nerve being affected by their disease. The older procedure of using temporalis muscle transplant into the inner ocular ligament has been replaced by fancy things these days but I have used it several times when I was the surgeon to a big leprosarium in Southern Ethiopia! After the operation when people chewed they blinked their eyes! It was good for the sales of chewing gum!
The fascinating thing about Jesus’ quote is that He was talking about moral and character planks and specks.
Because of modern laws which have been used to silence even people praying silently, I guess that I ought to be careful what I say! – I see the planks in our educators’ and politicians’ eyes as being their purposeful ignorance of Ultimate Truth and responsibility to a God Who has gone to the trouble of explaining what He thinks.
It goes much further than our Prime Minister claiming that he just stepped down when it was obvious to ‘blind harry’ as they say that it was much more than that. You can see intentions on the face and with hand movements. It was obvious to any boy who has begun to think about the differences between males and females (of whom there are only two types) exactly what he meant and what he said when a couple of other attractive woman were mentioned! He shares his blame in being untruthful with all those who explained his actions as morally healthy!
Sadly ‘openness’ means something different when used by a politician than it means to any other English speaker of moderate language ability, like grade one level!
One plus one can mean anything between -2 and +2 depending on the direction in which you add it. There is a potential sphere of correct answers but to extend beyond that sphere is wrong!
But some so-called ‘responsible’ people can make one plus one add up to billions! It is time that politicians took responsibility for balancing the books!
Woke is evil, extremes are evil – Naziism, over the top Greenies, died in the wool left socialists are evil! Judeo-Christian ethics are top class excellently good! Islamic Extremist Terrorism is evil everywhere!
Evolution is only a theory and sometimes is a good explanation of change but it not causative and must not be allowed to determine morality!
Breaking the law demands appropriate punishment! Tell the Victorian Government first!
People need to be given responsibility! – tell all governments at every level!
Businesses need to be allowed to get on with their business minus stupid supervision and unfair taxes.
Those who will not work need to be taught how to suffer hunger!
The rich need to learn how to be generous.
Australians need to learn how to make things! There needs to be a large tariff on things made overseas which we could and should make ourselves!
Acts 4:18-20 – So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Prayer: Father we seem today to be living in times similar to those described in the book of Judges. Please help those who are Your people to live as we should!