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.
Matthew 7:4,5
I'd been working steadily on a manuscript that afternoon and was tired. As I leaned back to rest my shoulders, I removed my glasses and allowed my mind to wander. I don't know exactly how long I sat there, but the room had darkened as the outside light lessened. Suddenly, I was brought sharply out of my "daydreaming": the trees' branches moved and allowed a shaft of late afternoon sunlight to cut its way through the darkness of the room, across my desk and face.
It wasn't an earth-shattering revelation; perhaps nothing to write home about, but it took away trying to explain a log or a plank in a person's eye. There are those who think the writer was talking about lumber because Jesus was raised around a carpenter's shop. Jesus meant exactly what He said and it is perfect in its own measure--it does not need simplification, translation or interpretation!
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. Luke 6:41,42.
Doesn't that describe every one of us at one time or another? We are in the beam of light, trying to find a tiny particle to judge in another's life! We've ALL been guilty of it: first opportunity we get to point out the "shortcomings" or faults of another, we join right in the chorus! You see, when folks are looking at what's wrong in another's life, they aren't looking at us! And that's EXACTLY why we do it: to get ourselves "off the hot seat"! Instead of us living as the Word of God directs us to, we "do it OUR way". Then when we get "called on it", we try to direct folks' attention to someone else so we are out from "under scrutiny". We refuse to live as we ought, then point out the faults of others!
Jesus wanted us to understand the significance of what He was saying: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye (a very tiny thing), but considerest not the beam (a light so bright it cannot be ignored) that is in thine own eye? Matthew 7:3. Webster defines mote as "a small particle; a speck of dust". It's about the tiniest of things that can be seen with the naked or unaided eye. Shine a flashlight into a darkened room and you will see what I mean, in case you've never noticed it before. Once again, Jesus was using two extremes (remember the tiny mustard seed and the huge plant it grows into?) to illustrate what He meant.
He had just finished saying, Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:1,2. Then He comes along and says (paraphrased--see actual scripture above), "Here you and your faults are in the spotlight, but you want to talk about someone who has a fault so tiny it can barely be seen?"
Let's look at the eighth Chapter of John, Verses 3-9:
...The scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery...Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? ...But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is WITHOUT sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their OWN conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.Jesus, Himself, said Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Whatever judgment we use against another will be used against us. What???? That's right. It's very clear and easy to understand. Whatever spirit or attitude we use against another, we will get used on ourselves. Ugh oh. T. T. (Trouble time.)
Luke records in the sixth chapter that Jesus had just finished with the "blesseds": "Blessed are ye that hunger; blessed are ye when men shall hate you...". Then Jesus went on to say:
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:36-38.There it is again! Whatever spirit, whatever attitude, whatever judgment I use against another will be used against me. Oh my, my my! Well, I can't use that list (of other folks' faults) now! I can no longer recite all the "misdeeds" of this one or that one! It puts a real dent in our GOSSIP parties, doesn't it?
Even when the Lord taught the Disciples to pray, it's in there: And forgive us our debts, AS we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12. There's no getting around it, my friends: as we do unto others, it will be done unto us! It is NOT do unto others before they can do unto you. It's not do unto others as they have done unto you! It's a matter of WHATEVER we use against others will be used against us!
Look at this:
Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers (diverse, as in "different" or "various") weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For ALL that do such things, and ALL that DO UNRIGHTEOUSLY, are an ABOMINATION unto the Lord thy God. Deuteronomy 25:13-16.What? You mean I can't make allowances for the preacher and none for Sister Suzi? That's right. You mean I can't judge the song leader with one set of weights and Sister Suzi with another? That's also right. You mean I can't justify my sin and condemn Brother Johann? That's exactly what it means. Of course, I can try, by getting folks' attention off the beam that's shining on me and divert their focus to some tiny little insignificant fault that Sister Suzi or Brother Johann has in their life.
But here's the bottom line: Whatever measure I use against them, will be used against me. Whatever judgment I use against them, will be turned on me. I didn't see any exceptions listed, either.
Oh, I do so I like that part of Luke 6:38 that says, ...good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over... However,
NOTE THIS
PAY ATTENTION
WARNING
BEFORE I can smack my lips about that "good measure", I'd better get over this speedbump: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. It does NOT say it would be a measure of good--don't read it wrong! It says "good measure" and a "good measure" is an honest reading of the weights. We get back good if we give out good. Whatever we give out, we get back.
I know my God is an exceeding, abundant God. If I want an exceedingly abundant measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over of blessings, of goodness, of mercy, of love, I need to work on improving the quality of that which I've been giving. Sorry, Sister Suzi and Brother Johann. You'll have to deal with your own motes, I fear.
What? Does this mean I should put up with all that is wrong or that I should turn a blind eye to sin? Nope, it does NOT mean that we should allow or condone sin. Sin is to be condemned and we are to separate ourselves from sin. What it means is simply what it says: we don't need to point out the faults of others--we have our own to be accountable for. When we get to feeling righteous we need to make certain this is the righteousness we are following after: ...godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. I Timothy 6:11.
Next time we find ourselves engaging in motes and beams, friends, let's use that bright light to examine ourselves. We ALL can find enough that needs correction within OURSELVES to keep us busy forever, with no time to worry about other folks' motes. (Of course, if we do that, several things will become as extinct as the dinosaurs: gossip, backbiting, fault-finding...!)
May God bless you in His exceedingly abundant way!
"Motes and Beams" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes.
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