Be Still And Know

Luke 6:42 I am quite sure that Jesus was smiling when he spoke these words. The picture he gives is like a cartoon. It’s plainly ridiculous to pick out a tiny speck in someone else’s eye when you have a huge log stuck in your own. Jesus’ point is absolutely clear: we need to make sure that we are not being hypocritical, because it is very easily done. The danger of hypocrisy was one that greatly troubled Jesus. He often pointed out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They gave the appearance of being devoted to their Jewish faith. They worshipped at the Temple regularly and gave their tithes faithfully. I have no doubt that most people in Jerusalem saw them as the best example of Judaism. Unlike so many people in the city, they really took their faith seriously. But Jesus saw through their performance. He could see that it was all an act, and he loved them too much to let them get away with living a lie. While having a good laugh at Jesus’ illustration, we need to own up to the fact that we can all be