"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from our own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye." Luke 6:42
If we are honest there is no one who is morally superior to another. Each time we call out another we are pointing out their stain and overlooking our own. We are all so ready to cast the first stone, no matter how much sin we have in our own lives.
We do this, I think, because of the sin hierarchy that exists in our minds and in our culture (both within the church and in the larger society). Interestingly enough the sins that we commit, whatever they are, tend to fall at the bottom of the hierarchy while the current 'popular' sins tend to fall at the top of our hierarchy.
I can point out your tiny speck and proudly showoff my plank because a speck of what you do is so much worse than a plank of what I do. Except it's not, sin is sin is sin no matter which ones you or they commit. I sometimes wonder how many of our current (and past) holy wars can be (could have been) avoided if we all realized that we are all in the same sin boat.
+ Which sins are worse in your mind?
+ Can you remember a time when you pointed out the speck while living with a plank? Have you apologized for it? If not, now may be a good time.
We do this, I think, because of the sin hierarchy that exists in our minds and in our culture (both within the church and in the larger society). Interestingly enough the sins that we commit, whatever they are, tend to fall at the bottom of the hierarchy while the current 'popular' sins tend to fall at the top of our hierarchy.
I can point out your tiny speck and proudly showoff my plank because a speck of what you do is so much worse than a plank of what I do. Except it's not, sin is sin is sin no matter which ones you or they commit. I sometimes wonder how many of our current (and past) holy wars can be (could have been) avoided if we all realized that we are all in the same sin boat.
+ Which sins are worse in your mind?
+ Can you remember a time when you pointed out the speck while living with a plank? Have you apologized for it? If not, now may be a good time.
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