The Speck OR the Plank
“We are most like beasts when we kill, most like men when we judge, most like God when we forgive” is a wise old saying that accurately portrays human nature. Judging others is one of our all time favorite natural hobbies; there is not a single day in my life that goes by without me passing some kind of judgment against somebody. I am very ashamed to make this public confession, but God has been clearly convicting me of this sin as I read a couple of interesting books recently (12 Steps for the recovering Pharisee like me by John Fischer & Making Judgments without being judgmental by Terry Cooper). As a Christian we have the responsibility to discern the good from bad, right from wrong and Godly from the worldly. We cannot help ourselves from forming opinions and convictions about people and their actions, the Bible does not ask us to shut our eyes, bury our head in the sand or to be blind to the reality of sin out there, however we are cautioned from making hasty judgments based on limited view of issues or people.
Jesus said in Matt 7:1-5: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “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? 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? 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.” I wish there was an easier way of interpreting this passage without exposing the misery of my own heart, but the more I read this passage the more I am convicted that there is a greater problem in me/us than the problem out there. Jesus did not deny that there is a speck out there, what bothered him most is the fact that we could be so obsessed with the specks that we are blind to our own planks and do nothing about them.
As a Christian we have the responsibility to discern the good from bad, right from wrong and Godly from the worldly. We cannot help ourselves from forming opinions and convictions about people and their actions,… however we are cautioned from making hasty judgments based on limited view of issues or people.
We live in a fallen world filled with sinners, it is important to recognize the evil we are surrounded by, but it is more important to cleanse our lenses before we try to rectify the problem outside. John MacArthur commenting about this passage writes “What Jesus forbids is self-righteous, officious, hasty, unmerciful, prejudiced, and unwarranted condemnation based on human standards and human reasoning…”. Jesus wants his followers to be discerning without becoming critical or judgmental of others, that is not an easy job to do, but an important fine line we should maintain. Terry Cooper writes “The first step in dealing effectively with judgmentalism is fully recognizing how slippery and insidious it can be. We may become less judgmental, but it is doubtful that we’ll ever be completely nonjudgmental…Non-judgmentalism is much like humility – once you assume you have it, this is pretty sure indicator that you don’t.”
“The first step in dealing effectively with judgmentalism is fully recognizing how slippery and insidious it can be. We may become less judgmental, but it is doubtful that we’ll ever be completely nonjudgmental…Non-judgmentalism is much like humility – once you assume you have it, this is pretty sure indicator that you don’t.”
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It is this subtle nature of judgmentalism that tripped the Pharisees of Jesus’ days and often gets us into trouble. One of the reasons Jesus was so vigorously against judgmentalism is because it makes a god or idol of our own limited viewpoint. Terry Cooper gives a very helpful contrast and distinction between a healthy judgment and being judgmental. A healthy judgment involves concern for others, whereas judgmentalism is only interested in criticizing and condemning. Healthy judgment evaluates evidence carefully; is unafraid to decide; recognizes its own limitations; is willing to change its mind; refuses to distrust another’s motives unless there is clear evidence for this suspicion; holds its convictions with charity…judgmentalism on the other hand, claims to be able to read people’s minds, it knows what everyone’s motive is, it has secret information, it is highly suspicious of others, and it does not give anybody the benefit of doubt.” |
John Fischer explains why we are so prone to judgmentalism in his words “Few activities in life rival the thrill of passing judgment on another human being…our eyes look out, they do not look in, and if they are looking for what is wrong, they will always find much upon which to focus. Only inner eyes can look in, and inner eyes do not come naturally. Inner eyes are weak, at best, and rarely exercised. It is our “Out-Look” that predominates – an outlook that takes pleasure in scrutinizing the minutest detail of someone else’s compromise while overlooking large chunks of our own self-contradiction with nary a blink…The act of judging gives us a subjective means of affirming ourselves. No matter what I’ve done or how bad I am, I can always comfort myself by finding someone out there who is “worse” than I am…This is the means by which we establish a Pharisaical sense of self-worth
“The first step in dealing effectively with judgmentalism is fully recognizing how slippery and insidious it can be. We may become less judgmental, but it is doubtful that we’ll ever be completely nonjudgmental…Non-judgmentalism is much like humility – once you assume you have it, this is pretty sure indicator that you don’t.”
It is this subtle nature of judgmentalism that tripped the Pharisees of Jesus’ days and often gets us into trouble. One of the reasons Jesus was so vigorously against judgmentalism is because it makes a god or idol of our own limited viewpoint. Terry Cooper gives a very helpful contrast and distinction between a healthy judgment and being judgmental. A healthy judgment involves concern for others, whereas judgmentalism is only interested in criticizing and condemning. Healthy judgment evaluates evidence carefully; is unafraid to decide; recognizes its own limitations; is willing to change its mind; refuses to distrust another’s motives unless there is clear evidence for this suspicion; holds its convictions with charity…judgmentalism on the other hand, claims to be able to read people’s minds, it knows what everyone’s motive is, it has secret information, it is highly suspicious of others, and it does not give anybody the benefit of doubt.”
A story is told of Professor Blackie, of Edinburgh, who was lecturing to a new class, and a student rose to read a paragraph, holding the book in his left hand. “Sir,” thundered the professor, “hold your book in your right hand.” The student attempted to speak. “No words, sir! your right hand, I say!” The lad held up his right arm, ending at the wrist: “Sir, I have no right hand,” he said. Then the professor left his place, walked to the student he hurt, put his arm around the lad’s shoulders and drew him close to his breast. “My boy,” said Blackie in a soft but audible voice “Please forgive me that I was so rough? I did not know—I did not know!”. There is so much I don’t know about people and their situations, today my prayer is that God will give me the wisdom, discernment and self control so that I will not end up my life regretting things I said or did to people with a critical heart. I would like to close with the words of the old gospel song based on David’s prayer “Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.”
A story is told of Professor Blackie, of Edinburgh, who was lecturing to a new class, and a student rose to read a paragraph, holding the book in his left hand. “Sir,” thundered the professor, “hold your book in your right hand.” The student attempted to speak. “No words, sir! your right hand, I say!” The lad held up his right arm, ending at the wrist: “Sir, I have no right hand,” he said. Then the professor left his place, walked to the student he hurt, put his arm around the lad’s shoulders and drew him close to his breast. “My boy,” said Blackie in a soft but audible voice “Please forgive me that I was so rough? I did not know—I did not know!”. There is so much I don’t know about people and their situations, today my prayer is that God will give me the wisdom, discernment and self control so that I will not end up my life regretting things I said or did to people with a critical heart. I would like to close with the words of the old gospel song based on David’s prayer “Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.”
“…judgmentalism claims to be able to read people’s minds, it knows what everyone’s motive is, it has secret information, it is highly suspicious of others, and it does not give anybody the benefit of doubt.”
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
