Motes and Beams
There is a duty of fault-finding. The
Master Himself teaches it. In the Sermon on the Mount, He makes
it very plain. We must note carefully, however, where the
duty begins. We are to look first after our own faults.
"Why do you look at the mote that is in
your brother's eye--but do not consider the beam
that is in your own eye?"
We must consider the
beam that is in our own eye!
The form of this question suggest that we are
naturally inclined to pay more attention to flaws and blemishes
in others--than in ourselves; and also that a very small
fault--a mere mote of fault in another person--may seem
larger to us than a blemish many times greater in ourselves!
Of course, it is far easier to see other
people's faults--than our own. Our eyes are set in our head
in such a way--that we can look at our neighbor, better than at
ourselves. Yet we all have faults of our own. Most of us have
quite enough of them to occupy our thought, to the exclusion of
our neighbor's faults--if only we would give them our attention.
Really, too, our own faults ought to interest us,
more than our neighbor's, because they are our own; and being
our own, we are responsible for them. We do not have to
answer for any other one's sins--but we must answer for our own
sins, "Each one must give an account of himself."
Also, the responsibility for getting rid of them,
is ours. No faithful friend, no wise teacher, can cure our
faults for us. If ever they are taken out of our life--it must
be by our own faith, our own firm, persistent effort.
It is a fact, that the faults which we usually
see and criticize in others--are the very faults which are the
most marked in us! In our judgment of others--we show a
miniature of ourselves. If this is true, we should be
careful in judging others, for in doing so--we are only
revealing our own faults! This should lead us also to close
scrutiny of our own life, to get rid of the things in us which
are not beautiful.
J.
R. Miller, The Duty of Fault-Finding, 1894
