Helping or Hypocriting?

From the Gospel of Saint Matthew: Chapter 7 and verses 1-5


‘Judge not, that you be not judged . . .’ Jesus with this and the following verse is warning that when you look at another, see a fault, think about it, reason in your heart about that person’s fault, and conclude then pronounce--or point out--that they are in the wrong the same meticulous scrutiny that you put them under you will be put under. You can hear this a little better in verse two when Jesus uses the words ‘the measure you use,’ so by the rule of judging you used that very same rule will be used on you.
Are we never to come to someone, a brother perhaps in the faith, and point out when he is in the wrong? That is not what this text is saying, rather it is a call to help others but first examine yourself.

‘first take the log out of your own eye . . .’ It is easy to see the faults of others because they are in front of us and because the natural desire for humans is that we want to see fault in others because it helps us feel better about ourselves. Note the contrast between a speck--something very small--and a log--something very big and blatant. How foolish is it to have huge, noticeable, undealt with problems of your own and come to someone and point out something very small in themselves? And it is not as though you must be perfect before you help someone else out--too many say ‘oh but I am sinful, how can I help others’ this is foolish; was not Paul sinful, was not Peter sinful, is not your pastor sinful!--but rather you must examine yourself and ask are you out for the other--their good--or your personal gain?

‘You hypocrite . . . ’ Jesus rightly calls these people ‘hypocrites!’ What makes these log-lodged speck removers hypocrites? They care nothing of helping others and removing sin or bad habits, for they do not care about removing such things in their own lives, rather they would sit back in their false-sense of righteousness and say everyone else is a sinner: They care nothing of helping, only exposing others so that they themselves can feel righteous.

‘then you will see clearly to take the speck out . . .’ The aim is to help one another, but not sit back as a perfect and righteous judge condemning one another. We must be willing to say, brother, you are at fault here, but in humility and awareness that we too are very sinful. The key difference in the judging mentality versus the ‘me too’-helping mentality is that the ‘me too’-helping is done out of humility and love, and the judging is done out of arrogance and self-love. You cannot rightly help others and glorify God without first being humble--knowing you are not perfect and that you are just like them--and loving--wanting to see them be rid of their sin and vices.