Specks and Beams

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is 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 brother's eye. Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (Matthew 7:1-6 ESV). It’s election time. As we watch the first primaries unfold and listen to various debates I remembered a great story from the life of the first President Roosevelt. When Teddy Roosevelt was running for president in 1904, he declared that the coming election was an “Armageddon.” That was a pretty bold statement, especially in his day. In biblical thought, Armageddon is the final showdown between God and Satan. Of course we know the outcome of that war. God will be victorious. For most people today, their thoughts tend to focus on the battles they face each day, not the final battle of history between God and the devil. Perhaps that’s the reason we are so invested in success. There is a tendency to feel that our personal battles are so important that if we don’t succeed, all is lost. Important contests are being waged in the church and in the world, and I pray that God’s will prevails. But a steady diet of doomsday exhortations like those that proclaim the idea of doomsday everyday can cast us into a state of paralysis and cause us to lose sight of the fact that, in the end, God wins. “If anyone will not receive you or listen to your words,” said Jesus, “shake the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” This small, symbolic act – shake the dust from your feet – was meant to deliver the disciples from undue anxiety about the need for immediate success. He, Jesus, would be responsible for the success of the Christian enterprise. And if his disciples weren’t always successful, it wasn’t the end of the world. Your battles are not Armageddon. If you are not always successful in your crusades, shake the dust from your feet and move on. Our setbacks, although disappointing, are not God’s setbacks. There is only one final battle, and God will win it. This thought should drive us to beware of a competitive spirit. We should strive to maintain a sense of personal evaluation before we begin to judge others. I have found very few issues that were so important that they were worth risking the fellowship of the church to win. As I concentrate on my own “log” it becomes a lot easier to help others with their “speck.” It is not Armageddon yet.