Friday 12 September 2008

Background

"It's like the blind leading the blind." You'll often hear thatwhen someone's following someone who doesn't really know whatthey're doing. It's not a very sensitive image for those who arevisually impaired, but you can just picture two people stumblingtowards a big hole in the ground - and you know just what's goingto happen!

In other words, take care if you are a leader or a follower. If youare a follower - a disciple - then you can't be better than yourteacher, but you can try to be like a teacher. Jesus was tellinghis followers how to become more like him.

And then he told them the amusing story of someone with a great biglump of wood in their eye, desperately trying to see a tiny speckin someone else's eye. It's not actually wrong to see anotherperson's faults, but it is hypocritical unless you try to sortyourself out first of all.

Following Jesus means trying to be like him - in behaviour and injudging other people.

To Ponder

Have there been times when you feel as if youhaven't been able to see the way ahead? What did it feel like?

How might you try to learn more about Jesus - andbe more like him?

Do you find it a bit too easy to judge otherpeople? How are you going to try to see your own faults a littlebit more?