“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42 NIV
Jesus gave us this powerful teaching. It’s one we need to consider thoughtfully. Some well-meaning Christians have driven more people away from fellowship with believers than they have attracted, simply from disregarding this valuable teaching. Non-believers have the knack of spotting religious hypocrites a mile away.
Have you ever attended a church where the atmosphere just didn’t seem right. I’m referring to the ones that “talk the talk” but don’t “walk the walk”. My wife and I have certainly done so. We’ve listened to pastors and talked with members who have planks in their eyes, but simply don’t recognize it. And they have tried to tell us how to live. I don’t think our experiences in such churches are necessarily the exception. It’s the one primary factor that has caused us over the years to cautiously select a church to attend or decide not to attend.
Christians shouldn’t be so quick to criticize others’ behavior. For example, homosexuality is a topic that divides and it shouldn’t. We have several gay friends and relatives, and they are wonderful people. Do we approve of their lifestyle? No, but we don’t judge them because we’re not hypocrites. With our own faults and weaknesses, we don’t have the moral right to be judgmental about others’ faults and weaknesses. Homosexuality is labeled as sin in many Bible verses, but usually in the overall context with adultery. Hello! I suggest an overwhelming majority of all heterosexuals fall into this same category with divorces, multiple marriages, and even one-time marriage partners with lustful thoughts–just like Jimmy Carter confessed to having years ago. Let’s get the big ole plank out of our own eyes and quit judging our neighbors.
Are you accepting of people regardless of their faults and weaknesses? Do you practice consistent self-examination in order to remove the planks from your own eyes?
Prayer: Dear God, we pray for clear vision. Help us to remove the planks from our eyes so that others may be influenced by our example. Amen.