Wooden Beams

Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

Judging and being hypocritical are two sins Jesus repeatedly reveals to all of us with wooden beams in our eyes.  Being arrogant falls into this category as well.  Most of us are quick to judge and then chime in through social media creating a forest of beams in the eyes of those joining scapegoating and mean-spirited rituals on the internet.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit our brothers’ eyes are not as swollen as our own.

Deacon David Pierce