Consider the beam... Matt 7:3-5

I have a hard time seeing sometimes.  No matter what I am looking at, no matter how many times I clean the window or wipe off my sunglasses… I still see this annoying obstruction in the corner of my eye.  Do you ever get those?  They can get really annoying.  I find myself with another case of OOM: obstructonius ocularios maximus (more commonly known by its layman’s term “big ol’ beam in the eye”)

And it would appear that the most commonly practiced remedy to this particular diagnosis is to ignore it and try and find someone who is suffering from the early stage of this disease, splintonius ocularios minutus.   (my Latin may be a little rusty here, but work with me.)

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”  Matt 7:3-5

Apparently if the beam is large enough it reaches a specific nerve in our brains that actually causes us not only to ignore it altogether, but then it cuts of the humility center of the brain and we move from conviction, which is an inwardly focused work of the Holy Spirit, and activates the arrogance center of the brain moving us to condemnation, which is an outwardly focused work of the enemy. 

But look at the verses; all three of them.  Don’t stop at verse 4.  When we do that we miss the point altogether.  God wants the beams and motes out.  He never tells us to leave the splinters alone.  He only tells us that in order for us to be effective in helping someone else through their struggles we have to make sure that we are seeing clearly.  Why?  Because if we try to remove a splinter – very small; delicate operation – without being able to see clearly we will hurt the other person.  We will make it worse.

These three verses have been thrown around in a spirit of condemnation, from both sides.  Enough!  Let the truth of the Word convict us.  We ARE to help each other, but we are always to remember that we are in the same position:  A position of dependence on Christ.  

“Let me pull out the mote in thine eye” does not imply that the person with the mote doesn’t know it is there.  The second man can simply be saying, “Can I help?” 

Forget thinking about these verses as pertaining to “judging”.  They are about “assisting”.  Judging is Jesus’ job. Our brothers and sisters in Christ have already been tried and convicted in Christ, and He has paid the price.  It is finished.  Now it is about living out our faith.  It is about being the body. 

If we look at these verses as verses showing us how to assist one another the message becomes clear… you can’t effectively assist someone with a problem you are currently in.  You have to already have dealt with it in your life to help someone deal with it in theirs. 

A recovered alcoholic is likely to encourage his friend not to drink. 

A current alcoholic is likely to encourage his friend to have another.  It is a basic principle.

If we look at these verses strategically… between the beams and the splinters… we’ll have plenty of lumber to build the church.

SDG