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Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye,
but do not notice the log in your own eye?
Luke 6:41 NRSV
One of the key biblical, devotional thought patterns is the parallelism. Without getting too technical, parallelism is basically stating and restating a primary thought several times so that the point gets driven home deep into the heart. One can find parallelism most prominently in the psalms, but also in the wisdom sayings of Jesus.
As an expanded illustration, I have used the verse quoted above and restated it with the help of paraphrase and commentary to illustrate the beauty and devotional benefit of the parallelism. May the Holy Spirit go to work on us with the Word here to curb our often damaging judgmentalism.
It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.
Eugene H. Peterson, The Message
It is frightfully evident, then, that we use one scale to weigh our neighbors and another for ourselves.
Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
Please refrain from judging your neighbor until you have walked a mile in her moccasins.
Cherokee Indian folk saying
Let us pray. . . . Lord of mercy, from your merciful heart-- form me into a disciple who is poised to listen, ready to show mercy, slow to speak, and doubly slow to judge. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen
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