Check this out! Next time you read Matthew 7:1-6 about "Judging Others" look at this. Verse 5 has been grabbing my attention the last couple days. We always read about the plank and the speck as telling us not to judge people. This is true, but I am not too sure we have read verse 5 for all it's worth.
"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
This says something very influential to me. This is saying more than just "Don't judge people! Cuz you ain't perfect!" But that is what we have always read this to mean.
There is more! The whole thing is Jesus' challenge to work on your own 'ish SO THAT you may be able to see your brother's speck, his 'ish, more clearly.
This is not telling us to leave our brother's alone because "Hey, you ain't perfect." The direct challenge is to remove your own plank so you may see clearly to remove your brother's speck.
This means I have to realize what my plank is. My plank could be a sin I am struggling with, but it may also be an issue I have; a wound, a hurt, an issue to be healed or repaired. Once I do the work of finding healing or repair for the ish in my life, I become able to see more clearly the people around me. I become capable of compassion because now I can see them more clearly. I can actually help remove their speck; walk along in their wounds, and hurt, and 'ish. But I can only do that if I have removed the plank that hinders my ability to truly see.
Christians commonly do whatever they can to "help" others because if I'm helping someone else with their 'ish I don't have to pay any attention to my own.
We call this 'compassion' or 'benevolence' or various other Christian terms, but if I am not or have not done the work to pursue healing and repair for my own 'ish, its really just what we call ENABLING......or even......wait for it..... CO-DEPENDANT.
