“…FIRST REMOVE THE PLANK FROM YOUR OWN EYE…” (Luke 6:42)

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the
speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the
the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First, remove the plank
from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the
speck that is in your brother’s eye" [Luke 6:42].

Saint Theophylact writes: "Why He asks, do you look at the speck, that is, the small sin of your brother, while not perceiving the timber, that is, your own great sin? The Lord here directs His words to all, but especially to teachers and rulers who punish the smallest sins of those who are under them, while their own much larger sins go unpunished. Therefore, the Lord also calls them hypocrites, because they appear in one light, righteous punishers of the sins of others, when in fact they are something quite different, even greater sinners themselves. Then the Lord confirms His words with an example. Just as it is impossible, He says, for a good tree to produce bad fruit, or for a bad tree to produce good fruit, neither could a man be evil who tries to recall others to their senses, to correct them, and to lead them to the good. If he were evil, he would not labor to make others better. The heart of each man is a treasury; if it contains good things, then the man himself is good, and he speaks good things. But if the heart is full of evil, then a man is evil, and he speaks evil things."

Saint John Chrysostom states, "Brothers, let us not be bitter judges and accusers of others that we may not be found seriously responsible against God. Let us not forget that we too have committed serious sins which need greater forgiveness. Let us, therefore, be lenient towards the others no matter how badly they have sinned so that we may be assured of the mercy and leniency of God." Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ is very clear when He says, "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. JUDGE NOT, and you shall not be judged. Condemn NOT, and you shall not be condemned. FORGIVE, AND YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN" [Luke 6:36-37].

The Kingdom of God calls us to a way of life in which mercy abounds. We must: [a) Refrain from judging.  By definition, human judgment precludes mercy.  (b) Do not condemn.  Condemnation causes us to depart from mercy.  (c) Forgive.  Forgiveness can only come out of a heart of mercy.  (d) Give.  When we give abundantly we receive from God in the same measure.  It is up to every believer to heed the Divine words of our Savior Christ.   No Orthodox Christian cannot be disobedient to Him Who gave His life to save us from evil and death.  When one judges another he or she does it out of pride.  Saint Gregory the Theologian states, "Nothing is more pleasant to many than to judge the actions of others."  A person who is weak in faith is misled to believe that he or she is better than others.  There is absolutely no humility and no compassion for others but only contempt and places himself or herself above them.