March 9 - Lenten Devotional

"Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye."(Luke 6:42)

This is another of those passages that is familiar to some of us. It get's used a lot to rebuke judgmental people or judgmental statements. We pair it with statements like - "don't throw stones in glass houses," or "the pot calling the kettle black." And don't get me wrong... there is some similarities between these sayings and what Jesus is saying. However - there is far more nuance that needs to be paid attention to in Jesus' comment. The meat of the comment here is in the second half of the verse I think, "hypocrite, first... then..."

"hypocrite"
It is really difficult to start a sentence with the word hypocrite and have the sentence be anything other than conflicting. It's not a word that starts a sentence that ends up with a feel good moment. There are lots of intriguing ways to talk about the word hypocrite that I would love to have time to engage but alas that is for a different day. Today - the word is a rebuke that the church needs to hear... that we NEED to hear. Do our lives match up with claims of Christianity - with the life of Jesus Christ? We bear Jesus name... are we hypocrites to do so, or are we actually making sure our lives are honoring that name?

I just came from a conversation with Tom and Katie about a book called unChristian. The major premise of the book is that the Church needs to pay attention to the critique of 18-29 year olds that the Church is not, or rarely, Christian. Rather the church seems hypocritical, judgmental, and sheltered. We are better at pointing out the speck in other's eyes than in seeing our own. We need to actually live the life we preach and teach.

"first..."
There is judgment in the Bible. Grace is a judgment: We all have speck's in our eyes. However, Grace is a WAY of judging that is not condemning... but loving and inviting. Grace invites healing and wholeness. When the Bible wants to talk about judgment - it is almost always (if not always) about self-judgment. We are invited to turn our eyes on ourselves and seek clarity about who we are, and who we are not. We are invited to allow God's Grace to love us into healing and wholeness.

"then..."
Here is where this text and "saying" of Jesus differs from the other two non-biblical sayings I gave earlier. While this text does move us away from judging others (and towards self-judgment), it does not leave us there. "And then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye." This text takes us from judgment to accountability. After we work on our own lives and bring our lives to a place of authentic witness to the life of Christ we are to help others do the same. We, who have been disciples, are to help disciple others. It reminds me of the Great Commission at the end of Matthew - "go forth discipling all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."(Mat 28:20)

As a church... as members of the body of Christ... as disciples following the call of Christ we are to hold one another accountable. We are to "help take the speck out of our neighbor's eye." We are disciple others with Grace, inviting them to follow in the way of Jesus... to hear and follow the call of Christ in their lives.

I think we are still struggling to know what that accountability looks like, to discover the line between judgment and accountability, to find balance in clearing our own vision and helping others to do the same.

I do not claim to know where those lines are, and exactly what a healthy picture of accountable community looks like. I do know this - community that does not hold each other accountable looks like hypocrites... it looks like fake following of Christ... it looks, in a word, unchristian.

Are you looking at the specks in your eyes... and seeking to remove them?
Are you putting yourself in community/communities that hold you accountable?
Are you willing to rock the boat with love in order to hold other's accountable as well?


Gracious God,
Help us to see the ways our lives do not live up to your calling.
Strengthen us to dare to be transformed by your love.
Guide us to nurture the same risking love in our neighbors.
Amen.