Holier than thou

Luke 6 : 39 - 42
...take the log out of your own eye...

This is not sweet tasting medicine, but a prescription for true life. Poor vision due either to blindness or a bad eye needs to be treated, if not by medication alone, by surgery also!! It is an uncomfortable condition to be diagnosed with, but Jesus obviously believed that many suffer from this. In fact, this malady becomes more subtle and insidious when we realize that as Christians we are still vulnerable.

I have been reflecting lately on sin, in particular characterlogical sins in my own life (as part of a spiritual formation programme I am involved with). Not a pleasant way to spend devotional time, but all the more necessary for those who would rather avoid facing their real selves. The spiritual writers of the past have written much about all this. In fact, for many of them, their closeness to God meant an ever greater sensitivity to sin in their own lives......Teresa of Avila writes that people cannot progress in their relationship with God unless they are willing to face these obstacles. Those who have already made some progress in the life of faith are often held back by certain habits of character like over talkativeness, moodiness, domineering attitude, lack of sensitivity to the feelings of others, habit of fault finding, critical attitude.......These defects are often our blind spots and their effects are subtle, yet may at certain moments cause much pain in our relationships.

Here Jesus specifically points out a critical attitude, fault finding and misleading others........He asks that we do something about it, actively. He even uses strong words like 'hypocrite' for those who refuse to address their own weaknesses, yet point out the faults of others. Perhaps some people, aware of their own shortcomings try to bring others down, rather than trying to correct their own faults. Typical defense mechanism of projection.

After this meditation, I am inclined to pray Psalm 51 even more fervently.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise."