Do you have a speck in your eye? My eye is feeling a little scratchy! Jesus talked about people having specks and planks in their eyes. These specks and planks can cause a lot of “speckulation” about other people.
Have you ever had someone say something negative about you and there was no basis of truth to it? They were harshly critical for no good reason. In several of my own experiences, I later discovered their suspicion or accusation was from their own brokenness and had nothing to do with me. I have my share of faults but maybe not the one that were tossing my way.
Psychologist call this projection; when someone takes something negative in themselves and perceive another person as having the same bad trait. Have you ever noticed that liars assume others are lying? A manipulator thinks he is being manipulated when he is not. People who have critical attitudes are usually the ones most offended if anyone is even a tiny-bit critical of them.
Jesus talked about this in the Sermon on the Mount. He told us not to judge each other. He said, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5 NKJV).
If we know nothing about another person and judge them merely on appearances, then we are wrongfully judging them. However, if we are doing life together, we can confront each other about issues in a spirit of love and understanding.
Jesus tells us to deal with our own brokenness first, and then we can better help our brother or sister with their difficulties. In our efforts to help others, we should always be kind, patient, considerate, and understanding. Knowing that we have our own faults puts us in a humble attitude in our attempts to help others.
There is a lot of division, anger, and hatred in our world. We need to be careful and not let all the anger and hatred cause us to be angry and to hate. Don’t receive the projection of those who are blind to their own “speckulation”. Jesus prayed for his own executioners while on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34 NKJV).
Don’t let other people’s anger make you angry. Don’t allow other people’s hatred to cause you to hate. Don’t allow the specks in their eyes to become planks in your eyes.
The problems we have in our homes, churches, communities, and nations cannot be solved by hatred or anger. They can only be solved by genuine problem solving with mutual love and respect. I pray that is still possible.
War results when diplomacy fails. When reasonable discussions disintegrate into arguing, and arguments turn into fighting, the results are never good for either side. Everyone loses, even the so-called winners. Winners of war also have cemeteries for their fallen.
I’m still trying to get the plank out of my eye… How’s your speck removal coming along?
Yours on the Journey,
Harry L. Whitt
Matthew 7:1-5 NKJV
(1) “Judge not, that you be not judged.
(2) For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
(3) And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
(4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
(5) Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Pathway Journey 