Devotion for Today “Shooting the Saints” Matthew 7:1-5
It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec. He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then support them when they attacked the city.
Phipps’ navy arrived early. As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships’ cannons. No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out, but when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack, the admiral was of no help. He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the \"saints.\"
Today I want to talk to you about “shooting the saints” - one of Jesus’ points in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:1-5:
1. “ Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother\'s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother\'s eye.”
Someone once said that the church is the only army on earth that shoots it own wounded. Why do we like to shoot the saints? Because of conceit and self-righteousness. It makes us feel better that someone else is put down simply so we look better. That is what Jesus pointed out in the Pharisees and their traditions which they elevated above God’s Word. The Pharisees were doing everything they could to make themselves look better in their own eyes, including acting as the spiritual judge by condemning others who didn’t live up to their standards. If you didn’t do all the things they did. . .they judged you. If you didn’t believe the way they did. . .they judged you. If you didn’t belong to their group. . .they judged you. If you didn’t follow their rules. . .they judged you. The Pharisees were continually doing this. Their judging was a careful mixture of showing disdain for others - perhaps with a little gossip while mixing in Scripture to justify themselves.
On the other hand, I have heard others say, when they are confronted about something: “Stop judging me! Jesus said not to judge!” What they really mean is “Don’t confront me! I am embarrassed about you holding me accountable.” But judging does not mean that we simply withdraw from confronting people in their sin or not holding them accountable for their actions. I have had people tell me that I was judging them when I was concerned that their sinful actions were going to hurt themselves or others- and especially become a liability issue for the body of Christ. Jesus means here not to judge as the Pharisees did with wrong and sinful motives without regard to their own faults and sinful lives.
Jesus tells us that we must first purge the plank in our own eyes before attempting to do surgery on someone else to remove a speck. Christ’s teaching here is really more in regard for our attitude toward others and not to be critical, hypocritical, arrogant, mean, or hateful. When we communicate love in the midst of confrontation we will gain respect and not defensiveness.
Do you see something you don’t like about others? Be careful to withhold the critique until you can look in the mirror. And be careful not to shoot the saints, or anybody else.
Have a blessed day!
