See the Log?
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.”
THE overall meaning of this passage continues on from
yesterday’s “do not judge” rebuke from Jesus in verses 1-2. Jesus’ masterful
preaching uses a log in the eye (ouch!) as the metaphor of how we are often too
focused on others’ sins to see the size and burden of our own sins.
He chooses the eye
because the eye gazes on others. You look to see what someone else is doing or
not doing. Worse, our sinful hearts often tell the eye, “Look and mark the
wrongs you see.” We do this with our driving, our coworkers, our spouse, and
everyone else. Our desire is to measure everyone else a little lower than
ourselves so that we can feel higher in some way. Gazing intently into others
lives, we focus on a weakness, and it becomes our means of feeling whole and
justified in connection to “that sinner”.
Jesus knew the
gaze of judgment from the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He knew the gaze
of judgment from unbelieving listeners. He knew their eyes were laced with
logs, judging his every word, stopping their hearing and blinding them to their
own sin. Jesus preached to turn their eyes to see their sin, then to look and
see the sin forgiver.
LIFE Link: Let the “living water” wash your eyes.
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