Today's readings are Psalm 119.49-56, Exodus 32.15-35, and Luke 6.39-49.
In our reading from Luke today we see Jesus' parable of the speck and the log. What does it teach us? Jesus points us to the necessity of repentance. Do we who are sinful often find ourselves needing to confront other people in their sin? Certainly we do. But we need to remember to confront others in a spirit of repentance ourselves. If I am in a conflict with another person, it's my duty to realize that I did bring a contribution to the conflict. Even if the other person's contribution seems much more important to me, still I, as a sinner, have contributed in some way. It may have been a very minor way. Yet it is still sin of which I repent and ask God and my neighbor for forgiveness. Then I'm free to help my brother with his sin that needs resolution.
Food for thought here - I've been in several situations where in a communion service the pastor is communed last. Doesn't it make sense for the pastor to commune first? If this is a concrete way that our Lord delivers forgiveness to sinners, it makes sense that the pastor should commune first, then, in that state of forgiveness and cleansing, commune the rest of the congregation. I wonder why we end up doing it differently?
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