" Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine
own eye, then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the
mote out of thy brother's eye." — Matt. 7 : 5.
THIS saying is what is usually called a hy-
perbole. That is to say its effect is de-
rived from a conscious and evident ex-
aggeration. A straw in the eye is impossible^
a beam is outrageous. Were we quite honest
with ourselves, should we not find it equally
exaggerated as a moral judgment ? We escape
by restricting it to the Pharisees. But the
Pharisees were not specially the object of it,
and, moreover, they were quite respectable,
religious people like ourselves. We should
never forget that it is precisely a judgment on
the Pharisees that may specially concern us
nominally Christian people. In that case
would you not utterly reject and even utterly
resent the description as a simple and final ac-
count of yourself and your neighbor? Your
fault is not a beam, and, with all charity, his
is not a mote. Every one has faults, and you
may be a little quicker to detect them in other
people than in yourself, for that is human nature.
This document provides a summary and analysis of Lesson 10 from a series on the book of Proverbs. It examines several key passages and concepts. The lesson explores how Proverbs helps uncover hidden realities and deceptions. It discusses different ways people deceive through language, like flattering words that disguise ugly intentions. The lesson also analyzes proverbs about the enemy posing as a friend, the friend acting as an enemy, and the dangers of laziness and foolishness. Throughout, it applies the proverbs to counsel wisdom and discernment in relationships.
In Darkness 25
The Light-Bringer 41
The First-Fruits of Them that Slept 55
God Shall Give It a Body ... 69
How Shall We Think of the Dead ? 79
The Practice of Immortality . . 97
Picture-Teaching 109
Jesus was urging forgiveness 7 times a dayGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus urging forgiveness 7 times a day. It someone offends you but comes and repents, you are to forgive them even if they do it seven times in a day.
This is a collection of writings dealing with the Holy Spirit coming upon the gentiles just as He did upon the Jews, and this has led to many questions about the church.
Note. — The apostle says that there are four judgments
which he is exposed to : first, that of his friends — "judged
of you ; " secondly, that of the world — " or of man's judg-
ment ; " thirdly, his own judgment — " I judge not mine own
self;" and, fourthly, God's judgment — "He that judgeth
me is the Lord."
This is a study of Jesus being defended by Pilate. He did all he knew how to do to set Jesus free, but he finally caved into the demands of the angry Jews who wanted Jesus crucified.
This document provides a summary and analysis of Lesson 10 from a series on the book of Proverbs. It examines several key passages and concepts. The lesson explores how Proverbs helps uncover hidden realities and deceptions. It discusses different ways people deceive through language, like flattering words that disguise ugly intentions. The lesson also analyzes proverbs about the enemy posing as a friend, the friend acting as an enemy, and the dangers of laziness and foolishness. Throughout, it applies the proverbs to counsel wisdom and discernment in relationships.
In Darkness 25
The Light-Bringer 41
The First-Fruits of Them that Slept 55
God Shall Give It a Body ... 69
How Shall We Think of the Dead ? 79
The Practice of Immortality . . 97
Picture-Teaching 109
Jesus was urging forgiveness 7 times a dayGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus urging forgiveness 7 times a day. It someone offends you but comes and repents, you are to forgive them even if they do it seven times in a day.
This is a collection of writings dealing with the Holy Spirit coming upon the gentiles just as He did upon the Jews, and this has led to many questions about the church.
Note. — The apostle says that there are four judgments
which he is exposed to : first, that of his friends — "judged
of you ; " secondly, that of the world — " or of man's judg-
ment ; " thirdly, his own judgment — " I judge not mine own
self;" and, fourthly, God's judgment — "He that judgeth
me is the Lord."
This is a study of Jesus being defended by Pilate. He did all he knew how to do to set Jesus free, but he finally caved into the demands of the angry Jews who wanted Jesus crucified.
This is a study of Jesus teaching on vows. He changed the way we are to look at vows from the Old Testament way. We are simply to tell the truth and keep our word.
"He endured, as seeing him who is invisible." —
Heb. 11 : 27.
HE endured. The word here means more
than if it were said, he bore his bur-
den well; and more than that he
waited with long suffering until the end came.
It means that he had strength to be stedfast.
There was a deep and constant force from
within with which he met the strange vicissi-
tudes of his life.
This excerpt from Plato's Republic discusses his famous "Allegory of the Cave." It describes prisoners chained in a cave who can only see shadows on the cave wall from a fire behind them. If one prisoner is freed and sees the real world outside, he would be blinded by the light at first. This allegory represents Plato's view that everyday perceptions of reality are like the shadows, and philosophers must strive to comprehend true forms and the highest form, the Good.
the most vast work transmitted to humanity through Jakob Lorber; it presents a history narrated by Jesus Christ Himself, describing Lord’s and His closed ones’ lives in the last three years of His life on earth, containing a great number of wonders, dialogues and teachings that greatly develop and enrich the records from the Gospels of Matthew and John; it also contains detailed revelations explaining essential passages from the Old and the New Testament and predictions concerning events occurring during the last 2000 years, culminating with facts that characterize the technological civilization of the XX-th Century and disclosures of a scientific nature which were validated long time after Jakob Lorber wrote about them. In the Great Gospel of John, one can practically find the essential answers to all the fundamental questions of life – these are to be found in the clear, but also extraordinary deep descriptions of the divine and human nature, of the creation and the material and spiritual evolution.
Jesus was to expose the motives of the heartGLENN PEASE
The document discusses how Jesus will expose the true motives of people's hearts when he returns. It says that at present, judgments of people are imperfect because only God fully knows people's motives and secrets. But when Jesus returns, he will bring to light what is hidden and make a perfect judgment, distinguishing the sincere from hypocrites and giving praise to each according to what they deserve based on their motives and faithfulness.
Our theories about God are our theology.
It is well to value them, to try our best to
keep them pure and high. But the deeper
question is. What is our religion? What are
our real thoughts of God ? In that deep and
secret place of our inmost consciousness, where
all our desires and feelings and hopes and
aspirations are born, what is God to us ? This
is the great question, the searching question.
And on the answer to it our peace, our happi-
ness, our usefulness depend.
1. Plato's Allegory of the Cave describes prisoners chained in a cave seeing only shadows on the cave wall from a fire behind them. One prisoner is freed and sees the real world, finding it hard to adjust. The allegory represents the soul's journey to understanding.
2. Aristotle discusses how Pythagoreans treat principles like numbers as explanations for nature but don't fully explain natural phenomena.
3. For Aristotle, every action aims at some good. Politics aims at the good of man and the city, making its ends the most complete. The inquiry aims to determine the highest good and best life.
Jesus was to expose motives of the heartGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus being the one to expose the motives of the heart. It is with a focus on preachers and the judgments of men and the final judgment of Jesus.
Charles A-Hall-WORKING-WITH-GOD-New-Church-Press-Ltd-LondonFrancis Batt
The document discusses accepting life's experiences with patience and understanding. It argues that we should view difficulties as opportunities to develop spiritual strength and wisdom, rather than resenting hardships. While pleasures may satisfy us, challenges help us grow spiritually if we accept them calmly and seek to understand their deeper lessons. With insight into God's benevolent purposes even in troubles, and by cooperating constructively rather than fighting circumstances, we can overcome bitterness and find sweetness in all of life.
Household of God 1 - Lord's Word through Jakob Lorber
a spiritual history of God’s communication and relationship with the first men; it contains extremely profound revelations referring to the spiritual creation, the falling of Satan and angels, the apparition of the material universe, mankind’s spiritual evolution and its history until the days of the great Flood.
Jesus was using exaggeration to make a pointGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus using exaggeration to make a point. It is not literal that the Pharisees swallowed camels, but they did ignore very important big issues while focusing on tiny issues.
This deals with the promise of Jesus that the Holy Spirit would give the Apostles the right words to say when they are persecuted for following and serving Him. They were fearful, but H\e assured them so they could have peace.
I. The Treatment of Conscience . . i
II. The Sanctification of Reason . .17
III. The Responsibilities of Memory . 33
IV. The Higher Uses of the Imagination 49
This document is the table of contents for an introduction to philosophy reader from 2017-18. It lists 13 chapters covering major works and thinkers in the history of philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Schopenhauer, James, Mill, Anselm of Canterbury, and Thomas Aquinas. The first entry provides an excerpt from Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," describing prisoners chained in a cave seeing only shadows on the wall and the process of being released and seeing true forms in the light outside the cave.
This is a study of Jesus being in favor of a reward motive. Jesus chose to motivate believers with the offer of rewards for obedience and faithfulness.
CALVI1, “David having largely and painfully experienced what a miserable thing it is to feel God’s hand heavy on account of sin, exclaims that the highest and best part of a happy life consists in this, that God forgives a man’s guilt, and receives him graciously into his favor. After giving thanks for pardon obtained, he invites others to fellowship with him in his happiness, showing, by his own example, the means by which this may be obtained.
I THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES . . i
II A DYING CIVILISATION ... 15
III GOD'S INSTRUMENT AND GOD'S AGENT 30
IV REBUILDING 48
V GOD'S IDEAL AND MAN'S REALITY 60
VI THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD . . 73
VII A PANACEA 89
VIII A DISTRESSED MIND AND UNTROUBLED HEART . . . 98
IX THE PARADOX OF THE WORLD .
X THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL 126
XI GOD'S FAILURES .... 139
XII THE PEACEMAKER AND THE PEACEABLE 155
XIII THE MAN AND THE OCCASION . 168
You see, there are four judgments which
the apostle feels he is exposed to: first,
that of his friends — "judged of you;"
secondly, that of the world — " or of man's
judgment;" thirdly, his own judgment—
"I judge not mine own self;" and, fourthly,
God's judgment — " He that judgeth me is
the Lord."
This is a study of Jesus teaching on vows. He changed the way we are to look at vows from the Old Testament way. We are simply to tell the truth and keep our word.
"He endured, as seeing him who is invisible." —
Heb. 11 : 27.
HE endured. The word here means more
than if it were said, he bore his bur-
den well; and more than that he
waited with long suffering until the end came.
It means that he had strength to be stedfast.
There was a deep and constant force from
within with which he met the strange vicissi-
tudes of his life.
This excerpt from Plato's Republic discusses his famous "Allegory of the Cave." It describes prisoners chained in a cave who can only see shadows on the cave wall from a fire behind them. If one prisoner is freed and sees the real world outside, he would be blinded by the light at first. This allegory represents Plato's view that everyday perceptions of reality are like the shadows, and philosophers must strive to comprehend true forms and the highest form, the Good.
the most vast work transmitted to humanity through Jakob Lorber; it presents a history narrated by Jesus Christ Himself, describing Lord’s and His closed ones’ lives in the last three years of His life on earth, containing a great number of wonders, dialogues and teachings that greatly develop and enrich the records from the Gospels of Matthew and John; it also contains detailed revelations explaining essential passages from the Old and the New Testament and predictions concerning events occurring during the last 2000 years, culminating with facts that characterize the technological civilization of the XX-th Century and disclosures of a scientific nature which were validated long time after Jakob Lorber wrote about them. In the Great Gospel of John, one can practically find the essential answers to all the fundamental questions of life – these are to be found in the clear, but also extraordinary deep descriptions of the divine and human nature, of the creation and the material and spiritual evolution.
Jesus was to expose the motives of the heartGLENN PEASE
The document discusses how Jesus will expose the true motives of people's hearts when he returns. It says that at present, judgments of people are imperfect because only God fully knows people's motives and secrets. But when Jesus returns, he will bring to light what is hidden and make a perfect judgment, distinguishing the sincere from hypocrites and giving praise to each according to what they deserve based on their motives and faithfulness.
Our theories about God are our theology.
It is well to value them, to try our best to
keep them pure and high. But the deeper
question is. What is our religion? What are
our real thoughts of God ? In that deep and
secret place of our inmost consciousness, where
all our desires and feelings and hopes and
aspirations are born, what is God to us ? This
is the great question, the searching question.
And on the answer to it our peace, our happi-
ness, our usefulness depend.
1. Plato's Allegory of the Cave describes prisoners chained in a cave seeing only shadows on the cave wall from a fire behind them. One prisoner is freed and sees the real world, finding it hard to adjust. The allegory represents the soul's journey to understanding.
2. Aristotle discusses how Pythagoreans treat principles like numbers as explanations for nature but don't fully explain natural phenomena.
3. For Aristotle, every action aims at some good. Politics aims at the good of man and the city, making its ends the most complete. The inquiry aims to determine the highest good and best life.
Jesus was to expose motives of the heartGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus being the one to expose the motives of the heart. It is with a focus on preachers and the judgments of men and the final judgment of Jesus.
Charles A-Hall-WORKING-WITH-GOD-New-Church-Press-Ltd-LondonFrancis Batt
The document discusses accepting life's experiences with patience and understanding. It argues that we should view difficulties as opportunities to develop spiritual strength and wisdom, rather than resenting hardships. While pleasures may satisfy us, challenges help us grow spiritually if we accept them calmly and seek to understand their deeper lessons. With insight into God's benevolent purposes even in troubles, and by cooperating constructively rather than fighting circumstances, we can overcome bitterness and find sweetness in all of life.
Household of God 1 - Lord's Word through Jakob Lorber
a spiritual history of God’s communication and relationship with the first men; it contains extremely profound revelations referring to the spiritual creation, the falling of Satan and angels, the apparition of the material universe, mankind’s spiritual evolution and its history until the days of the great Flood.
Jesus was using exaggeration to make a pointGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus using exaggeration to make a point. It is not literal that the Pharisees swallowed camels, but they did ignore very important big issues while focusing on tiny issues.
This deals with the promise of Jesus that the Holy Spirit would give the Apostles the right words to say when they are persecuted for following and serving Him. They were fearful, but H\e assured them so they could have peace.
I. The Treatment of Conscience . . i
II. The Sanctification of Reason . .17
III. The Responsibilities of Memory . 33
IV. The Higher Uses of the Imagination 49
This document is the table of contents for an introduction to philosophy reader from 2017-18. It lists 13 chapters covering major works and thinkers in the history of philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Schopenhauer, James, Mill, Anselm of Canterbury, and Thomas Aquinas. The first entry provides an excerpt from Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," describing prisoners chained in a cave seeing only shadows on the wall and the process of being released and seeing true forms in the light outside the cave.
This is a study of Jesus being in favor of a reward motive. Jesus chose to motivate believers with the offer of rewards for obedience and faithfulness.
CALVI1, “David having largely and painfully experienced what a miserable thing it is to feel God’s hand heavy on account of sin, exclaims that the highest and best part of a happy life consists in this, that God forgives a man’s guilt, and receives him graciously into his favor. After giving thanks for pardon obtained, he invites others to fellowship with him in his happiness, showing, by his own example, the means by which this may be obtained.
I THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES . . i
II A DYING CIVILISATION ... 15
III GOD'S INSTRUMENT AND GOD'S AGENT 30
IV REBUILDING 48
V GOD'S IDEAL AND MAN'S REALITY 60
VI THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD . . 73
VII A PANACEA 89
VIII A DISTRESSED MIND AND UNTROUBLED HEART . . . 98
IX THE PARADOX OF THE WORLD .
X THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL 126
XI GOD'S FAILURES .... 139
XII THE PEACEMAKER AND THE PEACEABLE 155
XIII THE MAN AND THE OCCASION . 168
You see, there are four judgments which
the apostle feels he is exposed to: first,
that of his friends — "judged of you;"
secondly, that of the world — " or of man's
judgment;" thirdly, his own judgment—
"I judge not mine own self;" and, fourthly,
God's judgment — " He that judgeth me is
the Lord."
2 page Summary of the article!Self-Reliancefrom Essays Fi.docxeugeniadean34240
2 page Summary of the article!
Self-Reliance
from Essays: First Series (1841)
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Ne te quaesiveris extra."
"Man is his own star; and the soul that can
Render an honest and a perfect man,
Commands all light, all influence, all fate;
Nothing to him falls early or too late.
Our acts our angels are, or good or ill,
Our fatal shadows that walk by us still."
Epilogue to Beaumont and Fletcher's Honest Man's Fortune
Cast the bantling on the rocks,
Suckle him with the she-wolf's teat;
Wintered with the hawk and fox,
Power and speed be hands and feet.
ESSAY II Self-Reliance
I read the other day some verses written by an eminent painter which were original and not conventional. The soul always hears an admonition in such lines, let the subject be what it may. The sentiment they instil is of more value than any thought they may contain. To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius. Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense; for the inmost in due time becomes the outmost,—— and our first thought is rendered back to us by the trumpets of the Last Judgment. Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is, that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men but what they thought. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility then most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side. Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another.
There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. Not for nothing one face, one character, one fact, makes much impression on him, and another none. This sculpture in the memory is not without preestablished harmony. The eye was placed where one ray should fall, that it might testify of that particular ray. We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents..
The sentences arranged in a meaningful paragraph with alphabets in sequence is:
B, D, A, C
Q. No. 2
Arrange the following jumbled sentences in a way so as to make a
meaningful paragraph. Mention the alphabets marked against each sentence
in order as answer.
A. He was a very intelligent boy and always stood first in his class.
B. His teachers were very impressed by his intelligence and hard work.
C. One day, his teacher asked him what he wanted to become when he grew up.
D. He replied that he wanted to become a scientist.
This is a study of Jesus being Job's umpire. He was the mediator that Job needed and all of us need. He was the only one between God and man to bring them together.
This is a study of Jesus being seen face to face. It is the hope of all believers to see Jesus face to face and become like Him. Seeing will be the great joy of heaven for we will see the very glory of our Lord and Savior.
This document discusses how the concept of sin has diminished in modern society. It notes that words like drunkenness are now described using softer language rather than being called sin. Many churches no longer emphasize sin and repentance, focusing instead on feel-good messages. However, the Bible is clear that God hates sin. The document urges a return to taking sin seriously and emphasizing the need for repentance, as called for in the Bible.
Jesus was interpreting radical sufferingGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus interpreting radical suffering. Why do bad things happen to good people? That is the issue for many people and in this study we look at a number of answers.
r SEVEN Who· s Afraid of the Fear of God • .docxaudeleypearl
r
SEVEN
Who· s Afraid of
the Fear of God?
•
I CAN picture Ecclesiastes as a man growing older, des-
perately sensing that he is beginning to run out of time, too
honest to repress or deny his fears and gripped by the
sense that he will soon come to the end without ever
having done something meaningful with his life. To be
sure, he has been rich and his life has been a pleasant one,
but those are such transient things. Riches can disappear
in one's own lifetime or slip from one's grasp at death.
Rich people can be obnoxious, lonely, sick. And all those
moments of pleasure disappear as soon as they are over.
In the end, he knows that he will have to face the darkness
alone, without either his wealth or his pastimes to protect
him. And if he will be asked, by himself or by someone
else, "What did you do with your life, with all the oppor-
tunities and advantages that you had?" what will he an-
swer? That he made a Jot of money, read a Jot of books,
and went to a lot of parties? A person's life should add up
to more than that.
Ecclesiastes at this point in his life is wise and well read,
learned enough to know that there is no answer in all of
his learn ing to the question that haunts him. One day, he
117
WHE N ALL YOU'VE EVER WANTED ISN'T ENOUGH
will write a book to try and answer it. But before he can
do that, he has one more p~th to. pursue. Desperate to do
something with his life which will ~e not only successful
and pleasant but righ t in an endunng sense,. he leaps be.
yond the limits of knowledge and understandin~, trying to
h the far shore where reason cannot lead him. Grow.
~~colder and more frustrated daily, Ecclesiastes, like
:any people as they grow older, turn~ to religion. Frorn
now on, there will be no more doubting or questioning,
Ecclesiastes will devote himself "".hol:hea_rtedly to the scr.
vice of God and the doing of His will.
Human beings do not live forever. That, of course, has
been the starting point of Ecclesiastes' entire search and
the rock on which all of his hopes were shattered, What
was the point of being rich or wise when rich people and
pocr people, wise men a?d fools are all _ fated to die and
be forgotten ? But God 1s eternal; He 1s forever. If we
attach ourselves to the Eternal God and devote our lives
to His service, might that not do the trick? Might that not
be a way of cheating death and avoiding that sense of
futility and finality which makes all of our strivings mean-
ingless? Ecclesiastes sets out to do things which arc eter-
nally right and true, hoping in that way to gain eternity,
He never tells us why it did not work. Maybe he was
too much of an individualist to be satisfied by the prospect
of dying and disappearing himself but having served eter-
nal values. Maybe he found hypocrisy and meanness in the
halls of religion, learning that the most outwardly pious
can be inwardly rotten, and came to doubt the worth·
whileness of piety. He ...
"Self-Reliance" is an 1841 essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes, the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow their own instincts and ideas. It is the source of one of Emerson's most famous quotations: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."
This document is an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1841 essay "Self-Reliance". In less than 3 sentences, the summary is:
Emerson argues that individuals should rely on their own thoughts and intuition rather than conforming to society or traditions. He asserts that true genius and greatness comes from speaking one's own mind authentically rather than seeking approval from others. An individual must trust themselves above all else and live according to their own nature.
Failure may be the indispensable condition
of goodness. Sometimes it is the want of
worldly success that keeps the hands clean.
Elevation to the throne transformed the
modest, valiant Saul into a tyrant, jealous,
suspicious, malignant.
This is a study of the words of Solomon that laughter is madness. It is seen in several different ways as meaningless or of being folly by those who are fools.
This document discusses the concepts of accountability and responsibility from a biblical perspective. It provides several bible verses related to these topics. It summarizes the biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to the promised land of Canaan and how they were held accountable for their rebellion against God. The document examines what true accountability looks like beyond just outward behaviors to inward motivations and desires. It questions how we can better stir each other up to love and good works through accountability relationships.
Jesus was using parables to blind unbelieversGLENN PEASE
This document contains a summary and analysis of a passage from the Bible where Jesus speaks to his disciples using parables in order to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God to those who have faith but conceal them from unbelievers. The document discusses how Jesus used parables intentionally to reveal spiritual truths to those with open hearts but conceal them from those who were hardened in unbelief. It explores why some were given understanding of the parables while others were not, examining the teachable spirit of the disciples compared to the willful ignorance of the unbelieving crowds.
1) The document contrasts God's idea of righteousness with human ideas of righteousness, noting that God takes sinners like the Apostle Paul and makes them disciples while humans emphasize self-righteous perfection.
2) Pride is identified as the root of all sin, as it causes one to feel better than others and justified in unloving attitudes. True righteousness comes from being fully dependent on God's love and mercy.
3) The document encourages humility, advising readers to forget perfection and instead follow God daily, as spiritual growth depends more on one's connection to God than years or doctrine.
This document provides a sermon encouraging self-examination and good works over judging others. It discusses removing faults from one's own life before addressing others' faults, and focusing on positive actions like helping the poor rather than criticism. The sermon cites several Bible passages about not judging, overcoming evil with good, and proving one's faith through deeds. It encourages focusing on one's own spiritual growth and good deeds rather than boasting or judging others.
BIBL 104
B. Module 3: Week 3
Thread: Squares, Triangles, Circles, and Hearts
Squares:
1. Because of sin, our nature (human nature) is curved in upon itself. This is what is theologically known as original sin. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah understood this and wrote, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
2. The heart is co corrupted by sin that it will fear, love, and trust anything and anyone but God. Therefore, culture ideas like “trust your heart” or “follow your heart” should not be heeded. This kind of advice will only lead away from God.
3. “God always meets us when rock meets bottom. He promises to meet us in the place of despair” (Grunewald, p.101). Thus, it is in places of lowliness, weakness, and brokenness that we are must likely to find God. It is in these places that we will find the presence of God and not the absence of God.
4. Christians love their neighbor not out of obligation but out of a heart overflowing with the love of Jesus. This is the heart of a servant. This is also the heart of Jesus who demonstrated through his actions what being a servant looked like.
Triangles:
1. Sin is ultimately the worship of self and therefore a worship problem.
2. According to Luther, one reason that people leave the church is because sin is downplayed and good works is promoted making people think they are already good enough or righteous enough for God’s acceptance.
3. “Christian growth is not primarily about sinning less. Christian growth is a war within us that is won by the Spirit through the Gospel…As you grow you will realize more and more how big the problem of sin is…Growth isn’t about needing the cross less, it’s about the cross doing its work daily. As we become acutely aware of what need to be put to death our daily lives transform” (Grunewald, p. 96).
Circles:
1. How else does Paul describe the difference between the carnal and the spiritual man in his other letters and does Luther’s understanding in Romans fit with these descriptions?
2. How does Luther’s understanding of the gifts listed in Romans (Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Exhortation, Generosity, Leadership, and Mercy) fit with the other places Paul talks about gifts in his letters?
Hearts:
1. “Grace is the pronouncement of your relationship to the Father, and it has nothing to do with whether you are a well-behaved child of the Father” (Grunewald, p. 39).
Page 2 of 2
ARISTOTLE. Nichomachean Ethics excerpts
Book 2, Chapter 1
Virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue in the main owes both its
birth and its growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time), while moral
virtue comes about as a result of habit, whence also its name (ethike) is one that is formed by a
slight variation from the word ethos (habit). From this it is also plain that none of the moral virtues ...
Jesus was urging us to pray and never give upGLENN PEASE
This document discusses the importance of perseverance in prayer based on a parable from Luke 18:1-8. It provides three key points:
1. The parable illustrates that believers should always pray and not lose heart, using the example of a widow who persistently asks an unjust judge for justice until he relents. If an unjust judge will grant a request, how much more will a righteous God answer the prayers of his people.
2. Though God may delay in answering prayers, this is not due to his absence or indifference, but for reasons that will become clear later and that are for the benefit of the believers.
3. Believers should continue praying without ceasing and not lose
This is a study of Jesus being questioned about fasting. His disciples were not doing it like John's disciples and the Pharisees. Jesus gives His answer that gets Him into the time of celebration with new wineskins that do away with the old ones. Jesus says we do not fast at a party and a celebration.
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, scoffed at Jesus when he taught about financial matters. While the Pharisees were outwardly devout and knowledgeable about scripture, their true motivation was greed. Their love of wealth distorted their judgment and led them to actively oppose Christ, culminating in conspiring for his death. True righteousness requires having a humble, trusting heart oriented toward love of God rather than worldly pursuits.
Jesus was clear you cannot serve two mastersGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus being clear on the issue, you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and money at the same time because you will love one and hate the other. You have to make a choice and a commitment.
Jesus was saying what the kingdom is likeGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus saying what the kingdom is like. He does so by telling the Parable of the growing seed. It just grows by itself by nature and man just harvests it when ripe. There is mystery here.
Jesus was telling a story of good fish and badGLENN PEASE
The parable of the dragnet, as told by Jesus in Matthew 13:47-50, describes how the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. When the net is full, it is pulled to shore where the fishermen sort the fish, keeping the good in baskets but throwing away the bad. Jesus explains that this is analogous to how he will separate the wicked from the righteous at the end of the age, throwing the wicked into eternal punishment. The parable illustrates that within the church both true believers and unbelievers will be gathered initially, but they will be separated at the final judgment.
Jesus was comparing the kingdom of god to yeastGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus comparing the kingdom of God to yeast. A little can go a long way, and the yeast fills the whole of the large dough, and so the kingdom of God will fill all nations of the earth.
This is a study of Jesus telling a shocking parable. It has some terrible words at the end, but it is all about being faithful with what our Lord has given us. We need to make whatever has been given us to count for our Lord.
Jesus was telling the parable of the talentsGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus telling the parable of the talents, There are a variety of talents given and whatever the talent we get we are to do our best for the Master, for He requires fruit or judgment.
Jesus was explaining the parable of the sowerGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus explaining the parable of the sower. It is all about the seed and the soil and the fruitfulness of the combination. The Word is the seed and we need it in our lives to bear fruit for God.
This is a study of Jesus warning against covetousness. Greed actually will lead to spiritual poverty, so Jesus says do not live to get, but develop a spirit of giving instead,
Jesus was explaining the parable of the weedsGLENN PEASE
This is a study of Jesus explaining the parable of the weeds. The disciples did not understand the parable and so Jesus gave them a clear commentary to help them grasp what it was saying.
This is a study of Jesus being radical. He was radical in His claims, and in His teaching, and in the language He used, and in His actions. He was clearly radical.
This is a study of Jesus laughing in time and in eternity. He promised we would laugh with Him in heaven, and most agree that Jesus often laughed with His followers in His earthly ministry. Jesus was a laugher by nature being He was God, and God did laugh, and being man, who by nature does laugh. Look at the masses of little babies that laugh on the internet. It is natural to being human.
This is a study of Jesus as our protector. He will strengthen and protect from the evil one. We need His protection for we are not always aware of the snares of the evil one.
This is a study of Jesus not being a self pleaser. He looked to helping and pleasing others and was an example for all believers to look to others need and not focus on self.
This is a study of Jesus being the clothing we are to wear. To be clothed in Jesus is to be like Jesus in the way we look and how our life is to appear before the world.
This is a study of Jesus being our liberator. By His death He set us free from the law of sin and death. We are under no condemnation when we trust Him as our Savior and Liberator.
Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian.pptxCelso Napoleon
Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian
SBS – Sunday Bible School
Adult Bible Lessons 2nd quarter 2024 CPAD
MAGAZINE: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Reach Heaven
Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes
Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon
Renewed in Grace
Heartfulness Magazine - June 2024 (Volume 9, Issue 6)heartfulness
Dear readers,
This month we continue with more inspiring talks from the Global Spirituality Mahotsav that was held from March 14 to 17, 2024, at Kanha Shanti Vanam.
We hear from Daaji on lifestyle and yoga in honor of International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2024. We also hear from Professor Bhavani Rao, Dean at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, on spirituality in action, the Venerable BhikkuSanghasena on how to be an ambassador for compassion, Dr. Tony Nader on the Maharishi Effect, Swami Mukundananda on the crossroads of modernization, Tejinder Kaur Basra on the purpose of work, the Venerable GesheDorjiDamdul on the psychology of peace, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on how we are all related, and world-renowned violinist KumareshRajagopalan on the uplifting mysteries of music.
Dr. Prasad Veluthanar shares an Ayurvedic perspective on treating autism, Dr. IchakAdizes helps us navigate disagreements at work, Sravan Banda celebrates World Environment Day by sharing some tips on land restoration, and Sara Bubber tells our children another inspiring story and challenges them with some fun facts and riddles.
Happy reading,
The editors
Trusting God's Providence | Verse: Romans 8: 28-31JL de Belen
Trusting God's Providence.
Providence - God’s active preservation and care over His creation. God is both the Creator and the Sustainer of all things Heb. 1:2-3; Col. 1:17
-God keep His promises.
-God’s general providence is toward all creation
- All things were made through Him
God’s special providence is toward His children.
We may suffer now, but joy can and will come
God can see what we cannot see
Astronism, Cosmism and Cosmodeism: the space religions espousing the doctrine...Cometan
This lecture created by Brandon Taylorian (aka Cometan) specially for the CESNUR Conference held Bordeaux in June 2024 provides a brief introduction to the legacy of religious and philosophical thought that Astronism emerges from, namely the discourse on transcension started assuredly by the Cosmists in Russia in the mid-to-late nineteenth century and then carried on and developed by Mordecai Nessyahu in Cosmodeism in the twentieth century. Cometan also then provides some detail on his story in founding Astronism in the early twenty-first century from 2013 along with details on the central Astronist doctrine of transcension. Finally, the lecture concludes with some contributions made by space religions and space philosophy and their influences on various cultural facets in art, literature and film.
Sanatan Vastu | Experience Great Living | Vastu ExpertSanatan Vastu
Santan Vastu Provides Vedic astrology courses & Vastu remedies, If you are searching Vastu for home, Vastu for kitchen, Vastu for house, Vastu for Office & Factory. Best Vastu in Bahadurgarh. Best Vastu in Delhi NCR
The Vulnerabilities of Individuals Born Under Swati Nakshatra.pdfAstroAnuradha
Individuals born under Swati Nakshatra often exhibit a strong sense of independence and adaptability, yet they may also face vulnerabilities such as indecisiveness and a tendency to be easily swayed by external influences. Their quest for balance and harmony can sometimes lead to inner conflict and a lack of assertiveness. To know more visit: astroanuradha.com
Chandra Dev: Unveiling the Mystery of the Moon GodExotic India
Shining brightly in the sky, some days more than others, the Moon in popular culture is a symbol of love, romance, and beauty. The ancient Hindu texts, however, mention the Moon as an intriguing and powerful being, worshiped by sages as Chandra.
2nd issue of Volume 15. A magazine in urdu language mainly based on spiritual treatment and learning. Many topics on ISLAM, SUFISM, SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SELF HELP, PSYCHOLOGY, HEALTH, SPIRITUAL TREATMENT, Ruqya etc.A very useful magazine for everyone.
The Book of Samuel is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and that aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.
Lucid Dreaming: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
The ability to control one's dreams or for the dreamer to be aware that he or she is dreaming. This process, called lucid dreaming, has some potential risks as well as many fascinating benefits. However, many people are hesitant to try it initially for fear of the potential dangers. This article aims to clarify these concerns by exploring both the risks and benefits of lucid dreaming.
The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming allows a person to take control of their dream world, helping them overcome their fears and eliminate nightmares. This technique is particularly useful for mental health. By taking control of their dreams, individuals can face challenging scenarios in a controlled environment, which can help reduce anxiety and increase self-confidence.
Addressing Common Concerns
Physical Harm in Dreams Lucid dreaming is fundamentally safe. In a lucid dream, everything is a creation of your mind. Therefore, nothing in the dream can physically harm you. Despite the vividness and realness of the dream experience, it remains entirely within your mental landscape, posing no physical danger.
Mental Health Risks Concerns about developing PTSD or other mental illnesses from lucid dreaming are unfounded. As soon as you wake up, it's clear that the events experienced in the dream were not real. On the contrary, lucid dreaming is often seen as a therapeutic tool for conditions like PTSD, as it allows individuals to reframe and manage their thoughts.
Potential Risks of Lucid Dreaming
While generally safe, lucid dreaming does come with a few risks as well:
Mixing Dream Memories with Reality Long-term lucid dreamers might occasionally confuse dream memories with real ones, creating false memories. This issue is rare and preventable by maintaining a dream journal and avoiding lucid dreaming about real-life people or places too frequently.
Escapism Using lucid dreaming to escape reality can be problematic if it interferes with your daily life. While it is sometimes beneficial to escape and relieve the stress of reality, relying on lucid dreaming for happiness can hinder personal growth and productivity.
Feeling Tired After Lucid Dreaming Some people report feeling tired after lucid dreaming. This tiredness is not due to the dreams themselves but often results from not getting enough sleep or using techniques that disrupt sleep patterns. Taking breaks and ensuring adequate sleep can prevent this.
Mental Exhaustion Lucid dreaming can be mentally taxing if practiced excessively without breaks. It’s important to balance lucid dreaming with regular sleep to avoid mental fatigue.
Lucid dreaming is safe and beneficial if done with caution. It has many benefits, such as overcoming fear and improving mental health, and minimal risks. There are many resources and tutorials available for those interested in trying it.
1. THE BEAM AND THE MOTE
JOHN W. OMAN
MODERN SERMONS BY WORLD SCHOLARS. You can find this online for around 150 dollars,
or read it here for free. They are all in public domain free of any copyright. I share them because
they have unique value to readers,speakers and other scholars."
Professor of systematic theology and
apologetics at the Westminster Presby-
terian Theological College, Cambridge,
England, since 1907 ; ordained at Alnwick,
1889; and minister there until 1907; au-
thor " Problem of Faith and Freedom in
the Last Two Centuries," "Vision and
Authority," translation of Schleiermach-
er's " Reden uber die Beligion."
THE BEAM AND THE MOTE
Prop. John Oman, D.D.
Edited by Glenn Pease
1
2. " Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine
own eye, then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the
mote out of thy brother's eye." — Matt. 7 : 5.
THIS saying is what is usually called a hy-
perbole. That is to say its effect is de-
rived from a conscious and evident ex-
aggeration. A straw in the eye is impossible^
a beam is outrageous. Were we quite honest
with ourselves, should we not find it equally
exaggerated as a moral judgment ? We escape
by restricting it to the Pharisees. But the
Pharisees were not specially the object of it,
and, moreover, they were quite respectable,
religious people like ourselves. We should
never forget that it is precisely a judgment on
the Pharisees that may specially concern us
nominally Christian people. In that case
would you not utterly reject and even utterly
2
3. resent the description as a simple and final ac-
count of yourself and your neighbor? Your
fault is not a beam, and, with all charity, his
is not a mote. Every one has faults, and you
may be a little quicker to detect them in other
people than in yourself, for that is human na-
ture. You are not, however, stone blind and
you are quite right in believing yourselves
tolerably truthful, honest, upright persons,
which can by no means be said of all your
neighbors. It is regarded by some people as
right to speak of themselves as being desper-
ately wicked, as being all wounds and bruises
and putrefying sores, as having no right word
in their mouths and no right thought in their
heads ; but the mere cant of it all appears in
the bitterness with which they would resent it,
if it were said directly to them in other than
Scripture language. You are quite right in
not wishing to use mere phrases about yourself
3
4. more than about others. You are not double-
dyed scoundrels. You have never descended
to the depths you have too often seen others
reach. You have not drunk to excess as many
do. You have not disregarded all rules of
honor and decency. Your business principles
are at least tolerably fair. You have done well
by your family and not been altogether neg-
lectful of public duty. You may not so much
as wish to be described as a very religious per-
son, yet, compared with many you know, you
might even claim attention to your religious
duties. However, you have never pretended
to be what you are not. Such pretense has not,
certainly, been one of your temptations. Why
then speak with such exaggeration, and,
above all, why apply to you the hateful word
hypocrite ?
Nevertheless it is the Master's simple and
4
5. final judgment on you. It is not our usual
judgment on ourselves. It differs from all
current standards. The man who receives it,
understands that he is dealing with the judg-
ment, not merely of the best of men, but dth
the mind of God, with the ultimate, heart
searching, indisputable eternal judgment.
Furthermore, not till we accept it, can we
make any right beginning with the will of God
for our salvation or the salvation of others.
The motes in the eye may be many: the
beam can only be one. To our Lord it is hy-
pocrisy. Now hypocrisy has two aspects, one
in respect of things and the other in respect
of persons; our relation to human souls be-
ing even more vital for our veracity than our
relation to what we abstractly call truth ; con-
sequently we have to concern ourselves about
just two fundamental virtues — about truth
5
6. and about justice. Let us ask ourselves with-
out exaggeration, yet, if possible, without eva-
sion, how it stands with us in respect of truth
and justice. They are ordinary fundamental
virtues, for you cannot say anything worse of
a man than that he is a liar and a thief.
How then does it stand with us, first, in re-
spect of truth? Few things are more con-
temptible than falsehood, and no one is more
untrustworthy than a liar. That is true, even
if it be only careless lying, even if it spring
only from mere love of babbling. It is a mote
in the eye so distorting, that the person who
has it never can distinguish between a true
story and a false. Many can never tell the
same story in the same way, and what is
strangest of all, never can see that he is any-
thing himself but a miracle of reserve, silence
and caution. When to this love of talk is
6
7. added an artistic love of improving a story —
a thing more simply accomplished by exag-
geration — whole romances can grow out of
hints, portentous events out of simple hap-
penings, a mountain of gross misrepresenta-
tion out of a molehill of fact. Unquestionably
that may be a very large and distracting mote
in thy brother 's eye.
Worse still than the careless lie is the self-
interested lie. The simplest, least reflective
form of it has a quite amazing effect in per-
verting the mind. It may seem a trivial
matter when a servant girl always has a con-
venient lie handy for every mischance, a shop-
keeper becomes glib in assuring you that you
cannot get the same article elsewhere for
double the money, or a vain person acquires the
habit of putting haloes on his relations and ex-
alting his own doings to the borders of the he-
7
8. roic ; but the task of clear thinking and of ac-
curacy, the whole slack dealing with truth is
never a small moral perversion. By allowing
themselves such indulgences, there are people
who come to feel truth in every form to be
inimical to their interests, and never tell it, if
hy any device they can deflect from it.
Nor can interested falsehood always offer
the excuse of want of reflection, poverty
stricken as that excuse may be. No one can
look around him and question that there are
men whose whole lives seem to be a deliberate
attempt to proiit by deceiving others. Con-
sider all the lying advertisements and pros-
pectuses, consider the whole parasitic world
which lives on the gullibility of human na-
ture. Surely that is a large enough mote in
your neighbor 's eye !
8
9. And w^orse still is the malicious lie. In the
Old Testament no iniquity is more strongly
denounced. The poison of asps is in the
tongue of the slanderer. In the New Testa-
ment James says that such a tongue is set on
fire of hell. Slander now is more insinuating
and less obvious, and we have lost somewhat of
that fierce sense of its malice, but its hints,
evasions, calculated understatements are as
cruel and as venomous as hell. What else can
put a man so far away from that love which
believeth all things and hopeth all things,
which is not only God's truth, but God Him-
self? What could there be more perverting,
more blinding in the eyes of mortal man ?
In contrast to all this, you indulge in no
wild misstatements, your memory is fairly ac-
curate and disciplined, your expressions never
greatly exaggerated. On any ordinary stand-
9
10. ard you have a right, a wholly undeniable
right, to regard yourselves as fairly truthful
persons. Now truth has been rightly called
the root of all the virtues, just because it must
be the first and the supreme condition for
seeing clearly, for seeing everything as God
sees it. Such a vision is what our Lord means
by an eye without beam or mote. The resolve
to have our vision clear, at all costs to see
ourselves, life, duty, all truth as God sees it,
must be the beginning of right turning to God.
But in that case truthfulness must mean utter
truthfulness of the whole nature, utter open-
ness to reality, utter determination to deal
with things as they are, and not as you wish
them to be. If so where do you stand ? What
of that shalloTiess, that lightness which hates
to be reminded of the deep, solemn, sad, awful
things which lie under the surface of life?
What of the habit of blinking the facts which
10
11. are most urgent and most sure — death and sin
and eternity and God ? What of that willing
bias towards self-delusion, which assumes so
many guises, so many respectable and highly
approved disguises? What, above all, of the
inward truthfulness of nature which shuns the
hidden things of shame, being ashamed to
cherish in the heart what it would be ashamed
to have lmo^^Tl, and which finds no comfort in
thinking evil hidden from the eye of men,
because its purpose is to be open and manifest
in the sight of God? What we are all called
upon to realize is the immense, the overwhelm-
ing power of self-deception, for hypocrisy is
just the self-deception which lies in easy, con-
ventional, self-satisfied ways of thinking, over
which our religion hangs like a shadowing
cloud, but never as an illuminating pillar of
fire. The ordinary lie, ugly, mean, contempti-
ble, malicious as it is, is a small thing and does
11
12. not half as much obscure from us the naked
truth of God as just this self-satisfied con-
ventional judgment of ours which accepts the
ordinary moral standard of our class, which
looks on life with the spectacles of custom,
which never once tries to fathom what God
has put into life and what He is saying to us
through life.
Our religion, instead of being a trumpet
call to awaken out of sleep, has become part
of this easy, prosperous, conventional life, into
which a real understanding of the Master's
teaching would enter as a thunderbolt.
Now let us see in the second place, how it
stands with us in respect of justice. If there
is anything you would resent more than being
called a liar, it would be to be called a thief,
yet '' thy brother " may be unfortunately a
12
13. common thief. In the cathedral of Strasburg
when the people gather at twelve o 'clock to see
the wonderful clock, a priest keeps shouting
at intervals in French, German, and English,
'* Beware of pickpockets." What a remark-
able and alas necessary commentary on hu-
manity! Now imagine yourselves watching
your neighbor 's admiration, possibly his wor-
ship, to find opportunity for robbing him!
The idea is almost beyond your power to con-
ceive.
Nor have you any part or lot with that more
specious kind of thieving which keeps within
the letter of the law and which yet ** con-
veys, the wise it call," as Falstaff says
with vastly great success. It may not be al-
ways easy to draw the line absolutely between
what is honest and what is dishonest in busi-
ness, but there are many things bearing that
13
14. honorable name, indefensible on any stand-
ard. You are not in any way like the men
who knowingly and wilfully are implicated in
such transactions. You would neither feel
yourselves justified by custom nor by legality,
but hold that the more extensively and the
more safely money is * ' conveyed ' ' out of one
man's pocket into another's, the worse morally
is the robbery.
You have no desire to grow rich by preying
on your brother's simplicity, and you have
good reason for believing that you are equally
free from profiting by his distress. Your
blood boils at the very thought of the em-
ployer whose fat fortune rests on the toil of
weary seamstresses working for a miserable
pittance under the bitter compulsion of cold
and want of bread.
14
15. Moreover, you have never been touched by
the gambler 's temper which seeks gain by any
kind of happy fortune, careless of where a
corresponding loss must necessarily fall. Nay,
you go far beyond all this and have a positive
doctrine of life which sees that in every walk
the man who keeps his eye steadily on the
profit, to the neglect of the services which
ought to merit it, has a gambler's heart and is
no honest man.
You can rightly claim, then, to be an honest
man in this matter, and it is no small claim.
But we are not yet done with what ought to be
accorded you in respect of justice. You have
never restricted justice to a mere matter of
honest bargaining. The person, for example,
who is wilfully rude to a person not in a posi-
tion to resent it, is not just ; deliberate readi-
ness to hurt the feelings of others is a dis-
15
16. regard to God shown in disregard to the
creatures He has made in His own image,
which is the very essence of sin. Quite mani-
festly it must be a mote large and distorting
in any eye that attempts to see the highest
and holiest in life as God sees it.
You have good reason for believing that you
are free from that brutal form of self-asser-
tion, and you strive at least never to do to
those below you what you would resent from
those above you. To appraise oneself by one 's
advantages of wealth and position and make
others feel it by word or gesture is to you an
especially offensive form of self-assertion.
You have enough Christianity at least to be-
lieve that God has made of one blood all classes
of men and you try, so far at least as the ordi-
nary forms of society will permit, to deal with
all men in accordance with that conviction.
16
17. But if these evils are only the motes, what
can the beam be? The motes may be many,
the beam is only one — what we found in re-
spect of truth — a superficial, self-satisfied,
conventional self-regard which will not be too
much disturbed. None of these things spoken
of sum up justice, which the Greeks regarded
as the sum of all the virtues, and which Paul
took to be a righteousness which alone was
worthy to clothe an immortal soul before God.
We, on the contrary, seldom speak of jus-
tice, preferring benevolence. Justice leaves
no sense of merit ; benevolence affords a grati-
fying sense of having done more than was
absolutely required. The Roman Catholics,
be it remembered, are not alone in seeking
comfort from works of supererogation. What
a pleasant superior feeling, for example, is
17
18. paying subscription dues, compared with pay-
ing a debt. And this we cherish too in the
name of Jesus Christ, who, if we understand
Him at all, has reduced such a claim of merit
to dust, and left us with nothing before God
but an infinite, unpayable debt. Here is the
beam which obscures your vision of all right
fellowship and consideration and kindness
and brotherly love.
Does it not begin with your whole estimate
of yourselves, which is corrupted by that sub-
tle, diffused injustice which thinks of privi-
lege as merit, not as responsibility? In God's
eyes who grants them, better social advan-
tages, better education, more leisure to culti-
vate the graces, greater ability can have one
just effect — humbler, kinder, more helpful,
more considerate service to men in proportion
as they are less privileged.
18
19. When you say even of the wicked, they have
made their beds and must lie on them, forget-
ting all the kind people who, often with very
little help from yourself, have made your bed
for you, are you just? "When you forget to
ask what you are worth to the world for all the
blessings God has showered upon you, and
simply think highly of yourself for being so
blest, are you just? When you forget your
responsibility for the higher gifts — talents,
knowledge, skill, peace, grace — and ascribe
them to yourself as merits and not to God as
responsibilities, and use them for yourself
and not for your brother, are you just ? Till
you have felt with the apostle that you are
debtors for the whole grace and joy and peace
of the Christian life, debtor to all men, debtor
most of all for the greatest gifts, debtor to pay
God in the only way He can be paid, through
19
20. His children, are you just? Is spiritual sel-
fishness better than material selfishness? Yet
in our habit of stopping at ourselves and not
going on to God, we readily and wdthout pain
of conscience, cherish both.
It is all the same beam whether it concerns
truth or whether it concerns justice. The
Master calls it hypocrisy. " Thou hypo-
crite! " Hateful word! Nevertheless there
it is — an actor, one who lives by masquerad-
ing, who is satisfied with the show of things,
who refuses to build on the bed-rock of re*
ality ! A hypocrite is not necessarily a delib-
erate deceiver, but more frequently is wilfully
self-deceived. Hypocrisy is not deliberate
pretense, but wilful shallowness and conven-
tionality and superficiality of judgment, which
resents truth and reality the moment they dis*
turb self-satisfaction, which feeds the pride
20
21. and not the humility on its benefits, which in
short stops short at judging itself before men
and according to the common standard, with-
out going on to judge itself before God ac-
cording to the whole measure of the responsi-
bility and loyalty required in those who have
nothing they have not yet received.
From this springs the hypocrisy which ac-
cepts convention for truth and externalities
for God's final moral judgment, and which
hinders us from finding God either in the life
which God has given or in our brother whom
He has made in His own image. This hypoc-
risy lies at the root of our failure both to
know^ ourselves and to help our fellows. Both
failures go together. We attack confidently
the outward evil, the gross evil, the evil every-
one sees, not humblj^ at all, or as if we our-
selves had any part in it, but as if it were
21
22. simply an offense to us which we had a right
to demand should be removed. Reform at-
tempted in that spirit becomes a mere breach
of kindness and truth and justice. Precisely
because an evil can be seen, is it not the root
of all iniquity which so obstructs our vision
that we do not even recognize its presence?
Nothing can avail till our thought regarding
our own and our brother's merit is entirely
reversed and we offer ourselves, not as those
who condescend, but as those who are so infi-
nitely debtors to God that they are debtors to
all men.
To realize that, we must suffer God's judg-
ment, the absolute judgment of truth and jus-
tice to pass upon us. It is not enough to ask
to see ourselves as others see us, but we must
ask to see ourselves as God sees us. To see
ourselves thus we must above all be humbled
22
23. by our privileges, not exalted ; use God 's gifts
to open our spirits to God and not to ward off
His judgment of us ; rid ourselves in short of
all the consolations of hypocrisy. Then and
then only can we have the hunger and thirst
after righteousness which God has promised
to fill.
Yet mere human nature cannot face such a
revelation. It cannot live in the naked light
of truth and justice. It cannot live without
the comfort of hypocrisy. We can only begin
by suffering God to set us, not in the light of
His cold judgment which we cannot endure,
but in the light of His love in Jesus Christ,
where alone we can sincerely say, Search me
O Lord and try my thoughts and see if there
be any wicked way in me. Then, the beam
being taken out of the eye, there can only be
one prayer — God be merciful to me a sinner—
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24. and only one way of going to your home justi-
fied — not by works of righteousness which you
have done, but by the sheer unmerited pardon
and love of God.
There and there only all real helpful succor
for others as well as salvation for ourselves
must begin. We Christians have spoken much
of the impossibility of reforming the evils of
the world without a gospel to offer men; and
then we are faced by the powerlessness of the
Church, even with the gospel it offers. But it
takes small reflection to see that the spirit of
the gospel is not behind this offer of the gos-
pel at all. It has not been a real gospel to us,
taking the beam of hypocrisy out of our own
eye and setting us in utter humility and grati-
tude before the pardoning, merciful love of
God, henceforth to be debtors to all His chil-
dren. Alas for us it is only a new ground for
24
25. self-satisfaction, a new pinnacle from which
we bend do^Mi to take the mote out of our
brother's eye. In this hand stretched do^^^l
to them from religious and moral heights, men
naturally fail entirely to find the hand of the
Friend of publicans and sinners, the very
mark of whose gospel was that it was preach-
able to the poor, and for that matter, to the
poor only. Moreover we cannot speak to the
souls of men, regardless of rank, education,
manners, morals, because it is not our souls
the gospel has found, but only our superficial,
conventional, respectable selves. This in every
age, even when men have sought to help their
fellows, has made them ' ' trust that they were
righteous and despised others," because, in
short, it is only an attempt to take the mote
out of our brother's eye, and, behold, a beam
in our own eye.
25