Remove the wooden beam

Jesus teaches His disciples to avoid judging others because the way they judge will be the manner by which they will also be judged. In Matthew this particular teaching is closely related to Jesus’ stern warning against hypocrisy (cf 6:2, 5, 16).

The term “hypocrite” is used here to address not the scribes and Pharisees but Jesus’ followers. Are the disciples not to recognize the faults of others? Are they just to keep silent in the face of others’ wrongdoings? Jesus mandates that His followers remove the splinter from a brother’s eye, but they must first take away the wooden beam from their own so that they can see clearly what must be removed.

Our motivation in correcting other people may often be not to help them but to find fault in them so that we can hide our own.

In our intention and manner of correcting others, do we first examine and correct ourselves so that our action becomes selfless and sincere?

Gospel • MATTHEW 7:1-5

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.”

SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www. stpauls.ph.