Just been doing some work on my sermon for Sunday morning. Then went to my Inbox, to find myself faced with these words.
Oh boy!

Jesus had plenty of time for sinners, but no sypathy for the hypocrite, little tolerance of the outward show of virtue that is unmatched by inward honesty.  First we need true, heartfelt repentance, and then perhaps God will use us in the service of our neighbours.

These verses each day have really helped me at work. My boss is difficult and doesn’t stop doing my head in. I read this today and my first thought is never mind about the speck, a stake through the heart is what comes to mind! Then I read it again and realised I need to be very patient and not get so stressed.
I wish I was able to write the deep spiritual comments that others write, but I am so rubbish at being Christlike that I really, really need Jesus every day. Thank goodness he is there 24/7

Lent is a good time for self examination of ones own actions and comments.  As sometimes we are all too quick to judge others before looking at ourselves, and finding that we ourselves do not always act in the way Jesus tells us to. Quite a difficult one, and one that I shall prayer about.

There is a temptation to read this passage as saying that we should only concentrate only on our own faults, and not help others with their faults.  I think this is a mis-reading.  Jesus clearly warns us to make sure that we do not have a log in our own eye when we try to take a spec from our neigbour’s; but he goes on to say that we must take the log from our own eye first “AND THEN” (my emphasis) we can help our neighbour with his spec.  This is not an excuse to leave sinners to their own devices just because we are not perfect ourselves.

“O Father, give us the humility which realises its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognises its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke.  Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst.  This we ask for thy name’s sake.  (Prayer of William Barclay, 20th century)

I think this gives us a sense of the freedom of God’s love. Spending time and energy ruminating on others’ perceived failings is wasted time and energy when I can’t see clearly anyway! Stop wasting the time on them and get on with reflecting on me and where I could be improving!

This reading seems particularly difficult because none of us are perfect.  I think the important thing is to admit to our own failings and make some effort to correct them before we can help others to correct theirs.