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!

Loving Each Other On The Road To Perfection

I believe that we are all on the road to perfection.  Sometimes we are going forward, and sometimes maybe backwards, and some people may not recognize which road they are on, but we are all on the road to perfection. 

If I feel like I am farther down the road than most people, I might actually ruin my progress by not listening to counsel and by not realizing there is more to learn.  Then I make it worse by looking down at those who haven't reached my more exalted state!

I have, on occasion,found myself feeling like I was farther down the road to perfection in some area, and looking down at others who weren't as awesome as me in that area.  How foolish!  There are so many areas to perfect, who is to say I'm actually farther down the road -- especially because we can't really see the end of it?

 I have found that often the very people I was feeling superior to were loving, caring people who do all they can to lift those around them.  We are all on this road, and none of us are ever going to get anywhere near perfection without Jesus, and He loves everyone, even those who may not be doing as good of a job as we are in any given area.

I am responsible to make the best choices I know how make for me, to teach my children to make the best choices they can for them, and I am responsible for loving everyone no matter what choices they choose to make for themselves as they travel the road to perfection.