Word to the Wise
Monday, June 26, 2023 - Monday in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 12:1-9 and Matt 7:1-5]"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." [Matthew]
One of the symbols of the judge's office is a gavel (wooden mallet). I became familiar with it because my father was a judge in Louisiana. We kids once gave him a huge wooden mallet as a gift! After more than 50 years of hearing confessions, I could easily conclude that most of us walk around with a gavel in our hands. Passing judgment on other people seems to be the most common fault I hear. At times I have advised penitents to take their gavel and bury it in the yard so that they can't pass judgment unless they go to the trouble of digging it up! Jesus puts the matter more colorfully with the image of the wooden beam (maybe a mallet would do) in the eye of the judge! I have occasionally found a good-sized plank with lots of splinters to pass around the congregation while preaching on this text!
Another gift I gave to my father was a wall plaque with the prayer: "Lord, let my words be gracious and tender today. Because tomorrow I may have to eat them!" That is a good prayer to say when we are tempted to judge others. Jesus speaks of the measure with which we measure as being the measure with which we will BE measured. What are OUR sentencing guidelines? AMEN