Scripture for Today: Matthew 7:3-5 “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, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye. 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.”

The beams pictured here are from the oldest home in a village in Germany. They date back to 1357 and they are just beautiful! They add such warmth and coziness as well as stability to the ceiling. I see lots of these beamed ceilings in Europe. I shudder to think what the termites in southern California would try to do to them!

The beams or planks spoken of in today’s verses are not seen in such a positive light. In fact, they are not seen at all! They represent our own failings and weaknesses. We do not like to see them nor do we want to see them. It is much more gratifying to be in the business of “speck removal” for our brothers. These verses certainly do not discourage helping our brother see his weaknesses in a spirit of love. However, what we mean to be helpful can actually hurt our brother when we have not in humility examined ourselves first.

This image of a beam and its relative size to a speck is ludicrous! It is just as silly for me to be overly concerned with minutia in my brother’s life. I ought to be more concerned with my own beam removal. As uncomfortable as it is to examine myself, I risk becoming a hypocrite without it! I sure do not want my own ignored specks to gradually converge and become a beam! 

Lord, keep me speck and beam free!