Saturday 14th September
Read Matthew 7:3-5
“‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (NIVUK)
Can you picture the scene? I am sure Jesus could. He was a carpenter after all. Preparing planks for tables, sawing away, generating sawdust. Thinking about how to explain the foolishness of trying to remove the speck of sawdust from a brother’s eye when a table plank is blocking your view. Blundering around in the affairs of others with no self-reflection at all.
This is the only place where Jesus accuses a disciple of hypocrisy, that is how seriously He considers the cancer of judgmental attitudes towards each other without the required self-reflection. There is no question of the speck actually existing (v5), but the hubris required to confront it when there are so many obstacles in one’s own life call’s down Jesus’ harshest words for those who would claim to follow Him.
It is rare that He uses an example drawn from His own life experience to make a point, just as it is unique that He accuses us of hypocrisy. Do we take the issue as seriously as Jesus?
