“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?” (Matthew 7:3 NLT).
I remember reading about a woman who purchased a magazine, a cup of coffee and a package of cookies at an airport canteen. She sat down at a table along with a man reading a newspaper. As she read her magazine, she reached for her cookies on the table and was shocked as the man took one of her cookies and began eating it. She glared at him while he continued to munch and smile at her. She was flabbergasted. She continued to read but couldn’t keep her mind on the article. As she reached for another cookie, the man took a second one. Now she was upset. As she was about to boil over, the man took the last cookie, broke it in two and handed her the other half. She stuffed it in her mouth and stomped off down the concourse. As she poked her magazine into her pocketbook, she felt something. Upon inspection, she pulled out her package of cookies… unopened.
I’m a recovering Pharisee. At times, I’m a full-fledged Pharisee. I condemn and criticize people for their sins when, in fact, I act more rotten and sinful than they do. I just don’t like to admit it. This story hit me between the eyes. I want to help people get the speck out of their eyes when I have a log in my own. Jesus admonishes us to get the log out of our own eye, and then we will be able to help our brothers and sisters with the specks in theirs.
Every one of us without exception is self-centered and selfish whenever Jesus is not sitting on the stool of our heart. Whenever we are walking in the flesh (sense and reason apart from the leading of the Holy Spirit), we really don’t care that much about others except for how their attitudes and actions affect us. We are like the woman getting ticked off about the man eating what she thought were her cookies when in reality she was eating his. Wonder if he felt the same way she did? Evidently not. He was seemingly glad to share his cookies without her even asking while she was ready to smack him for doing the same thing.
Beloved, we are all in the same boat. We are human beings living in a fallen, sinful world. Apart from the grace of God, we are capable of committing every evil act under the sun. Don’t you agree? If you do agree, then why do we persist in looking down our spiritual noses at others? The ground is level at the cross. Apart from the grace of God, we all deserve death and hell no matter how self-righteous we think we are. Why don’t we do what the Lord requires of us? What does the Lord require? You will find it in Micah 6:8. “The LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” In other words, do what God says is right according to His Word. To love mercy means that we cut others some slack when they don’t always do what is right. To walk humbly with the Lord means that when we do mess up, we admit it to Him and get back to doing what is right. That’s all that the Lord requires of us.
We need to stop trying to pick specks out of other people’s eyes and cookies out of their teeth. Admit that we desperately need a Savior and that our best is just not good enough. Isaiah said that “we are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6 NLT). By the way, those rags to which he refers are menstrual rags. Is that a sickening thought, or what? We really need Jesus. We need to accept His mercy and quit demanding justice. Had you rather have justice, or mercy? That’s what I thought. Enjoy your cookies and share with one another… gladly.
“Heavenly Father, would You help me with this log in my eye? It’s blinding me to how desperately I need You. I’m sorry for poking other people in the eye by trying to fix them. I can’t fix them. I can’t even fix me. Would you fix me? I know grace is what You do FOR me. I know that I was crucified with you, and I no longer live, but You live in me, through me, for me, and as me. Help me to do right, love mercy and walk humbly with You today. Better yet. Let me get out of Your way, and let You do that FOR me. My eye feels better already. Thank You, Lord. Amen.”
Blessings,
Kenny
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