“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye,
but do not notice the log in your own eye?”
–Matthew 7:3
A few years ago, I took the opportunity to worship at another church located a half-hour away. I didn’t get to do that very often in the years that I worked full-time. On most Sunday mornings in my pre-retirement days I was preaching and when out-of-town over a weekend, tended to worship in a church in that community. On this particular Sunday, I was on vacation and in town. I had heard good things about this congregation that belonged to a different denomination and decided to visit. After checking out its website for worship times, I set out, arriving fifteen minutes before the start.
I enjoyed many things about the church; the diversity of ages present and quality of the music, the clear evidence of a vibrant congregation and quite selfishly, their padded pews. Still, my particular bias when I worship in another church is the sermon and was eager to hear it.
That day’s preacher read an account from the book of Acts when the Apostle Paul goes to Ephesus as part of his missionary travels and encounters some new Christians. Over the course of their conversation Paul learns of some gaps in their understanding and helps them grow. After sharing that passage with us, the sermon began. He was going along well though I was surprised by an early attempt at humor that felt uncomfortable to me. I quickly decided that his joke was just one of those moments he was reaching too far for an illustration–something this preacher has done, too, over the years—and marked it up to that.
Yet a few minutes later, the minister said “Now we can all think of ready examples of how Paul would react if he were to come to our community. For instance, consider all of the so-called Christian churches in the area.” I completely lost the point he was making as it became apparent based on some further comments that he would have included the church I was serving in that description. I was still absorbing that verbal shot when he went on to talk about times visitors receive a poor welcome at a church or when members become upset with their congregation. “Of course,” he continued “no one would ever have that kind of experience here!” It didn’t sound tongue-in-check to me and instead led me to conclude that such things only happen in “so-called churches,” too.
You need to know that it takes a lot to offend me. Perhaps that comes from growing up in a large family where all kinds of opinions were freely expressed and verbal teasing was frequent. As a pastor, too, I strive to be respectful of the diverse perspectives voiced by our members and other faith traditions, too, even when I disagree. So for him to speak about other congregations as he did was offensive to me on multiple levels. As the service wound down, I kept pondering his comments and will confess that I was tempted to introduce myself to him afterwards by saying “I’m a pastor at one of those so-called churches,” but thought better of it and simply returned home letting his words continue to play in my mind.
The incident now makes me think about a teaching moment from Jesus. “Do not judge,” he said. “so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” He wasn’t talking about times when we appropriately evaluate others. In job interviews, the one hiring relies upon her best judgment. Any panel charged with deciding a scholarship winner has to determine the recipient from many qualified candidates. A jury has to evaluate whose testimony is more convincing. Life is filled with moments of making judgements and Jesus isn’t suggesting it to be otherwise.
No, it seems to me that the key to his message comes when he continues with a famous analogy. “Why do you see the speck in the neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye…first take the log of your own eye,” he concludes “and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” What I hear Jesus to mean–and it clearly could be a log in my eye–are times when individuals are so convinced they are right that the other must be wrong. And even more than being right, feel the need to disparage others.
So, on this day, I confess to times of having done similar things in the past while hoping that I just happened to hear one pastor’s sermon on an off day. Yet even if I interpreted his words correctly, I give thanks for all of the so-called churches who have blessed me along the way.
Faithful One, you are the only true judge. Help me to remember and act upon that truth, removing any logs in my eyes before passing judgment on someone else. Amen.
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