Do you remember the parable Jesus told about the day a Pharisee was joined at the temple by a tax collector (Luke 18:9-14)? The tax collector felt his profound unworthiness before God and prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” The Pharisee measured himself against other people and said, “I’m thankful that I am not like other men.”
Are you like me and often think, “I’m thankful that I’m not like some people”? That is the spirit of criticism that Jesus addressed in the Sermon on the Mount.
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For the judgment you give will be the judgment you get, and the measure you give will be the measure you get” (Matthew 7:1-2).
The kind of judgment Jesus counsels us to avoid is not discernment but a critical attitude that measures ourselves against others negatively. Later in His sermon, Jesus tells us that we need to use discernment when the words of false prophets do not match their actions.
A Speck Inspector
I try to keep my blog articles to an 800-word limit. If I were to list the various ways I am like the Pharisee and think, “I’m not like other people,” this article would be multiple times over the 800-word limit.
I have jokingly called myself a “speck inspector,” after the brief parable Jesus used to illustrate the folly of judging other people.
“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).
Calling myself a “speck inspector” may be a funny way of talking about the way I judge and criticize others, but it is absolutely no joking matter.
Jesus uses the stinging rebuke “hypocrite” to categorize my actions. A “speck inspector” is like a stage actor who has played so many different roles that they have lost sight of who they are. They are clueless to the fact that they can spot a speck but are unable to see the log of their own negative behavior.
What Can We Do?
I don’t know about you, but I often have automatic critical and judgmental thoughts that come to mind in certain situations. These thoughts momentarily interrupt my inner peace. If I allow them to linger, they produce a crop of contempt and, at times, anger.
What can we do to consistently and naturally give love and compassion instead of criticism?
Jesus told us to take the log out of our own eye, but to do that, we first have to see it for what it is. I suggest we adopt this practice when automatic critical thoughts arise. Let’s ask ourselves, “What is it about me that makes me want to think badly about that person?”
I remember a time when I realized that a characteristic I didn’t like in my mother was something I had, too. The “speck” I saw in her was actually the “log” I also had.
There are certain sins considered highly objectionable by the church today. People who practice them know they are not welcome in church and often have to climb very high hurdles to find their way to experiencing a friendship with Jesus.
On the other hand, critical and judgmental attitudes and speech seem to be very acceptable in the church. If church people are going to take Jesus’ words about being judgmental seriously, we have to address the “log” in our eyes.
I recommend that every instance of judgmental thoughts be countered with this prayer: “Lord, show me my log before I condemn their speck.”
There is more we can do to establish the consistent practice of not condemning others, but this is a place to begin. Let the critical thoughts that arise in our minds be like a flashing warning sign, reminding us that it is time to combat these thoughts with a prayer asking God to show us their root cause.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. You can find it on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 