Read: Luke 6:37-42
Reflect: Due to various eye conditions, I have seen a number of ophthalmologists (specialists who diagnose and treat all eye diseases and perform eye surgery). In all my years of treatments, there is one thing I have never encountered – a blind ophthalmologist. During a surgery on the back of my retina, I would freak out if the doctor said, “You know, I can’t really see well today. I’m just going to take a blind guess as to where to cut.”
their assumptions
The religious leaders had a serious disability. In Luke 6 they already diagnosed & came up with a treatment for what they considered their greatest headache: Jesus. When scrutinizing Him, they came armed with a significant impairment: they were spiritually blind. Whether Jesus was sharing food or healing on the Sabbath, they always made the assumption that because Jesus was doing it, it must be sinful. Their judgments were equally rash, harsh, and unjust.
they could never heal without first being healed themselves
Our Savior wearily looked deep into the hearts of these “spiritual specialists” and asked them one question: Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice or consider the log that is in your own eye? (verse 41) The religious teachers had disregarded the Holy Spirit’s guidance in studying the Word of God. They didn’t let the scalpel of God’s Word clean out the cancer in their own hearts (Heb. 4:12) They were the blind ophthalmologists who could never heal without first obtaining treatment for their own condition.
false judgments
How many times do we judge? Maybe we know little parts of a person’s story or have made observations, but we have not been able to see into their hearts. A perfect example of this is in the Book of Job. Job was a man in right standing with God, however through the acts of Satan Job suffered devastating losses. This did not fit the theology of one of Job’s friends. Job’s “comforting” friend had a skewed vision of God in which nothing bad happens to people who are right with God. (Job 5:20-27) He assumed that Job’s children must have died because of Job’s sins. The friend declared false judgments which fit into the friend’s false view of God.
they judged and pounced
Job’s friend shared the behaviors of the religious leaders who judged Jesus. Before they opened their mouths, they lacked the preparation of prayerfully and humbly bringing the object of their scrutiny before the Throne of God. They didn’t ask the Holy Spirit to open their eyes to Scripture. They never mercifully and lovingly engaged the person in conversation, giving them opportunity to explain what was observed. The encounter wasn’t made with grace and God’s wisdom. They just judged and pounced.
a hand in restoration
This doesn’t mean that we are to become indifferent to evil, or not address it when we see it. In the case of believers, we are the ones who have been given the privilege of extending a hand in the restoration of a believer who has clearly fallen off course.
our goal in confrontation
Apply: “Our goal in confronting a Christian caught in sin is to restore our brother or sister.” This comes only by prayer, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the truth of God’s Word and an abundance of mercy. Otherwise, we are the blind ophthalmologists, the religious hypocrites of Jesus’ day and Job’s off course friend. If there is spiritual surgery to be done, may it be done only under the guidance and light of the Holy Spirit. Only He can direct the wandering one home.