Planks, Specks, and Self-Righteous Prigs
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
02/11/2020
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, came to earth at His incarnation during a time when God’s people had drifted about as far away from God as humanly possible. Judaism was rife with compromise, hypocrisy, arrogance and self-righteousness. The Jewish leaders had convinced themselves that they were righteous—at least more righteous than everyone else—and righteous enough in their own eyes to get into the Kingdom. Yet, as Jesus bluntly points out, in reality they were far from perfect.
In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out that the righteousness that heaven demands is a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt 5:20). In fact, the standard for entering heaven is perfection. (Matt 5:48) In an effort to help these blinded Jewish leaders see the error of their thinking, Jesus pointed out that while they are prating around, boasting about how they have never committed any of the “big sins” such as murder or adultery, in reality their attitudes of hatred and lust have broken these very laws. It is what’s in your heart that matters, Jesus declared.
Perhaps most offensive was the way these self-righteous Jews looked down their noses at those from the lower tiers of the Jewish social strata. They judged others for their more visible “big sins,” yet failed to recognize that their own attitudes were just as offensive to God. Jesus reminded them to be careful about pointing out the speck in their neighbor’s eye, when in reality there was a great big plank protruding from their own eye.
Evidently, we have learned very little about pride and self-righteousness in the 2000 years since Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders. Many Christians in our own generation have wrongly concluded, just like the first century Pharisees, that certain “big sins” justify our judgmental attitudes. In particular, sexual sins seem to be in a class by themselves. But could it be that while we publicly humiliate those who are guilty of the speck of sexual mistakes, we may be ignoring our much greater plank of arrogance and hatefulness?
C. S. Lewis addresses this very issue quite eloquently. In a paragraph from his book Mere Christianity he writes:
“If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual. The pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and backbiting; the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me competing with the human self which I must try to become; they are the animal self, and the diabolical self; and the diabolical self is the worst of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig, who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it’s better to be neither.”
This is vintage C. S. Lewis! And it is thoroughly biblical. Let me encourage us all to beware of the planks in our eyes, lest we show ourselves before God to be “self-righteous prigs.” We all need forgiveness of sins, which comes only through faith alone in Christ alone. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ to give you the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life?
02/11/2020
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, came to earth at His incarnation during a time when God’s people had drifted about as far away from God as humanly possible. Judaism was rife with compromise, hypocrisy, arrogance and self-righteousness. The Jewish leaders had convinced themselves that they were righteous—at least more righteous than everyone else—and righteous enough in their own eyes to get into the Kingdom. Yet, as Jesus bluntly points out, in reality they were far from perfect.
In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out that the righteousness that heaven demands is a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt 5:20). In fact, the standard for entering heaven is perfection. (Matt 5:48) In an effort to help these blinded Jewish leaders see the error of their thinking, Jesus pointed out that while they are prating around, boasting about how they have never committed any of the “big sins” such as murder or adultery, in reality their attitudes of hatred and lust have broken these very laws. It is what’s in your heart that matters, Jesus declared.
Perhaps most offensive was the way these self-righteous Jews looked down their noses at those from the lower tiers of the Jewish social strata. They judged others for their more visible “big sins,” yet failed to recognize that their own attitudes were just as offensive to God. Jesus reminded them to be careful about pointing out the speck in their neighbor’s eye, when in reality there was a great big plank protruding from their own eye.
Evidently, we have learned very little about pride and self-righteousness in the 2000 years since Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders. Many Christians in our own generation have wrongly concluded, just like the first century Pharisees, that certain “big sins” justify our judgmental attitudes. In particular, sexual sins seem to be in a class by themselves. But could it be that while we publicly humiliate those who are guilty of the speck of sexual mistakes, we may be ignoring our much greater plank of arrogance and hatefulness?
C. S. Lewis addresses this very issue quite eloquently. In a paragraph from his book Mere Christianity he writes:
“If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual. The pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and backbiting; the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me competing with the human self which I must try to become; they are the animal self, and the diabolical self; and the diabolical self is the worst of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig, who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it’s better to be neither.”
This is vintage C. S. Lewis! And it is thoroughly biblical. Let me encourage us all to beware of the planks in our eyes, lest we show ourselves before God to be “self-righteous prigs.” We all need forgiveness of sins, which comes only through faith alone in Christ alone. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ to give you the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life?
Recent
Archive
2025
March
God, Satan, and Sandy Hook ElementaryIs Haiti a Harbinger?The Evil in the “Lesser of Two Evils”New BeginningsA Truly White ChristmasThe Counsel of God's WordAll is ForgivenIdentity CrisisThings that Matter… Things that Don'tTurn Down the Volume so You Can HearWILD BOARS LOOSE IN THE VINEYARDA Measure of AssuranceReign, Reign, Go AwaySpiritual SomnambulismYou Might Be a Fool If...Bright Lights and Other DistractionsLife Is Not a Game of Go FishThere is No ComparisonLeggo My EgoThe Insanity of IngratitudeThankful for the Little ThingsSurviving the Culture of NowA Forever SaviorSlow Down and Save TimeHope in ExileDon't Just Do Something, Stand ThereTrue LoveGod in the MidstOnly God Is GreatOne Nation Under GodGodly FearThe Amazing RaceNew Life in ChristFruit InspectorsThe Calcium of the SoulGood, Better, BestLord, Please Send More BearsElusive PeaceEasily AmazedIn a MomentWhat Goes Around Comes AroundThe Good, the Bad, and the UglyIndiscriminate GraceBackseat DriverThings Are Not Always As They AppearLook for the LightDoctrine Is DeadThe Golden KeyWarm On the InsideBelieve it or NotWhose Neighbor Are You?Planks, Specks, and Self-Righteous PrigsCloudy MedicineNever Look Back?Are Monsters Afraid of You?Old Habits Die HardContending with HorsesSeeing the InvisibleNever Underestimate the EnemyGod Can Tie His Own ShoesHe did itDo You Believe in Miracles?Storybook EndingGod's Return PolicyToo Good Not To Be TrueStand UpLife's PuzzlesThe Lord is my ShepherdBeside Still WatersThe Right PathValley of ShadowsDelivered from the EnemyWho You Are When No One Is LookingBig World, Big GodIt's Who You KnowSin, the Soil, and SalvationClark Kent ChristianityPrecious MemoriesWaiting and SoaringA Little Birdie Told MeOur God ReignsTrust in the LordGive Credit Where Credit Is Due
April
Thanks but No ThanksSin... Own ItWhat You See is What You GetWill You Be A Fool for Christ?Spilled MilkThe Tenderness of CompassionLife's Instruction ManualWhere Do You Live?Stop. Look. Listen. Think.At Your FingertipsHead for the Hills?Is it Time Yet?The Balm in GileadOwn ItThe Greatest ResetAbundant GracePaid in Full
No Comments