The Splinter, Part 1
“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.” – Matthew 7:1-6
The Bible is cautious in teaching and talking about judgment and calling out a fault in another believer. It’s a tricky business because, in Matthew, Jesus tells us that we set the same standard for ourselves in whatever way we judge others.
For example, another teammate that you know is a believer starts to be unfaithful in their relationship. You see them slip into lust and pride for another person, and you decide to confront them. Before we confront others, Jesus warns us to look at ourselves and determine if the sin of lust is present in us and fix that before we minister to our friends about their sins.
It’s easy to see the faults in others. Sometimes, we even look for it to make ourselves feel better. As fellow believers, we are called to help and build each other up. In judging the actions of someone, we must first do the work ourselves before we can help them see the sin in their own life. If we don’t do the work of self-examination first, we risk looking foolish and being a hypocrite.
- Take time to examine yourself. What is the current “beam of wood in your eye?”
- Have you ever experienced someone calling you out for a sin that is obvious in their life?
“Father, give us wisdom to help us build up each other for Your Kingdom. Make us slow to judge and willing to see what Your Spirit tells us to fix in our own life before we go to a friend. Give us the courage to stand for what is right even when we risk confrontation with someone we love. Give us strength to walk in peace with one another. Amen.”
