Of Specs and Planks

In the realm of politics I am a Reagan conservative (formerly known as Republican). I mention this, not because this Blog is about politics, but because of the confusion of terms that floats around in things religious as well as political. The tags we attach to ourselves and others are not at all clear, especially since we are all overwhelmed by so much information and misinformation. I suppose, therefore, that anything I may write here will only contribute to the same. But I press on.

Here are some of the terms that are all mixed up in the realm of Christianity (even that term is ambiguous):

+Evangelical
+Protestant
+Lutheran
+Conservative
+Confessional
+Charismatic
+Biblical
+Inspired
+Grace
+Faith

The list is seemingly endless.

If I were to define what I mean by any of the above I stand a very good chance of disagreeing with many of my good friends, at least on some points. So what is my point? It's quite simple. The first task I have is not to condemn and fault those around me. My first task is to prayerfully examine my own heart and what my own understanding is. Our Lord put it this way in His sermon:

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:2-4)

Mind you, if you've ever had a speck of sawdust in your eye you know from personal experience how painful that is. Unattended, it can lead to serious consequences for one's eye. So my attempts to remove the speck from my brother's eye may be very well attended. I only want to help.

Or do I? That leads me to consider planks, a word sometimes also translated as beams. I do it in the light of the ancient story of Samson and Delilah (Judges 16). Samson certainly had some deep faults and they led him frequently into sin. The man was gifted with almost unbelievable strength, but uncontrolled libido at the same time. So he ended up in bed with the Philistine. She ultimately led him to forsake his Naziritic vow by permitting his hair to be cut off.

The purpose of the Nazirite vow was to express a desire to draw close to the LORD and to separate from the comforts and pleasures of the unbelieving world. The word Nazirite is a transliteration of the Hebrew verb Nazir, meaning "set apart" or "consecrate." The process is outlined in Numbers 6:1-8:

"The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite, he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. prostitute Delilah.

" 'During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the LORD is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long. Throughout the period of his separation to the LORD he must not go near a dead body. Even if his own father or mother or brother or sister dies, he must not make himself ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of his separation to God is on his head. Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the LORD."

Notice all the musts to accomplish: no alcohol, no barbers, not even a funeral in your own family. Who could do it? Samson thought he could. He was strong, but this very strength, together with his uncontrolled passion was the ignored plank in his eye and it became his downfall.

Those of us who claim to be evangelical, conservative, confessional, Lutheran, Biblical, etc. do well to examine our own hearts and what we truly believe before we attempt to remove specks of sawdust from our brothers' eyes.