Chasing Specks or Removing Logs
Luke 6:39-42
39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.
Vs. 41 and 42 speak to the moment we are in. The criticism and ridicule thrown at other people comes fast and is full of insult and disrespect. We are quick to see in others the faults that we ourselves possess. People accuse someone else of being arrogant, all the while they themselves are acting with arrogance and pride. The wood sawdust (the speck) in another person’s eye would be so much easier to see and remove if we didn’t have the same massive fault in our lives.
But there is more to it than just that. In the process of dealing with our own log, our own shortcoming, hopefully we develop a little humility, a little patience, and are able to offer a little grace to the other person. When we are prepared to examine our own lives with honesty, we discover that we have faults, that we are not perfect, that in fact some things in us need to change. With that realization comes the invitation to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives to work with and in us to make us more like the people we were called to be. This process is not easy, it is disruptive and at time even painful. But we all know that changing life habits is not easy.
The difficult process of change should give us patience in dealing with others, offering them the grace that comes with humbly recognizing the road to being like Jesus is not easy. If we want others to be patient with us as we are being changed, should we not be patient with those around us as the Holy Spirit is changing them.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we so easily point out the faults in other people, while being unable to recognize those same faults in ourselves. Help us to examine ourselves, take us on a journey of our own lives, so that we might see ourselves as you see us and also as you desire us to be. Then give us the humility to let your Holy Spirit begin a work in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.