The Beam and the Mote

Photo by Ian Simpson on Unsplash

Matthew 7:3-5 says, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"  We were studying this scripture at home and I asked which was bigger, a beam, or a mote.  Well, it turns out that they were thinking of the kind of moat that goes around a castle!  That would change the meaning of the scripture!  The mote in the scriptures is just a sliver.  Something not big at all.  A beam is large, and heavy.  

Photo by George Lucian Rusu on Unsplash

I am wondering if, perhaps, we might start out with our own little sliver in our eye, just like everyone else, but as soon as we turn and try to find the faults in someone else, even if it is to "help them pull it out" then we have created a beam in our own eye, making us completely blind.  Then we bludgeon someone with our beam, hurting them when we were trying to "help" pull out a sliver.

If a sliver is a sin -- something that needs to be pulled out -- then I hesitate to think that I am ever going to be ready to turn to someone else in judgment.  Christ forgives sin.  He can help them with their mote, and me with mine, and then we can both see clearly to lead people to Him instead of trying to do a little "helping" with our destructive, heavy beam!