Dealing with the Plank in Our Eye

“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, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Luke 6:41-42 NIV)

Jesus is pointing out, in rather humorous fashion, one of our inherent traits: we naturally look at other people’s faults while ignoring our own.  Take, for example, friendships.  When they go awry, it is natural to blame our friend.  I have talked with many students regarding struggles with their friendships.  It is quite rare for them to reflect on their own contributions to the fracturing of the relationship; rather, they focus on what their friend did wrong. 

This can also be true when things go wrong for us in life.  Our natural instinct is to blame others for our situation, whether it be our parents, siblings, teachers, employers or someone else.  We tend to focus far less on our own contributions to the situation. 

We are also seeing this play out in our nation’s politics.  Almost everyone, whether Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, points their finger at their perceived opposition while rarely ever acknowledging their own shortcomings or errors in judgment. 

Why is it so hard to acknowledge when we are in the wrong?  How is it that we can so easily focus in on the faults of others while completely overlooking our own?  Could it be pride?  I think so.

Going all the way back to Eden, our tendency is to cover up our wrongdoing.  We shift blame; we make excuses; we deny.  Just as Eve and Adam were loath to admit their sin, we, too, hate to admit we’re wrong.  It is just our natural bent that has its root in pride.  We might be willing to admit we are sinners, but getting to the specifics is a lot more difficult.  But it is in the specifics that we face down our pride.

I believe this is why the Lord has made confession the door through which we pass to gain forgiveness (I John 1:9).  Through confession, we acknowledge the truth, which paves the way for reconciliation, both with the Lord and others.  And when we acknowledge our own specific sins, we are also in a much better position to help others with their own struggles.  Rather than being “holier than thou,” we are a fellow sinner seeking to help. 

Today, examine your life and your relationships.  Are there issues that could be more easily resolved if you were to acknowledge your own contributions to them?  Have you been blinded by your own pride and living in denial?  Examining what is stuck in your own eye can make things more clear and create opportunities for reconciliation and solving problems with others.

© Jim Musser 2016