My parents divorced when I was about a year and a half old. My mother tried to make it on her own but eventually moved my sister and me to live with her parents. My grandfather became my father figure and was a great example of a godly person.
We were very poor by the standards of the world but rich in family and God. My grandfather was a janitor at a church and was uneducated in the world of business but was able to repair plumbing, install electrical wiring and build things including a house using materials from other houses he demolished for the windows, doors wood and nails. My grandparents and mother taught me a good work ethic that lasted throughout my life.
When I got older, I was blessed with two men who worked in the corporate world and mentored me on how to act, how businesses worked and how to excel in the corporate environment. I owe my success in life and in the companies where I worked to these two men.
The first one was Carl. Carl had a lot of sayings about how people act and how to get along with others. One of these sayings was “We criticize others for the things we subconsciously dislike about ourselves.”
Let’s think about this for a little bit. “We criticize others for the things we subconsciously dislike about ourselves.” I would like to think that it’s not true but over the years, when I found myself criticizing others, I would examine myself and realize that Carl was right.
“We criticize others for the things we subconsciously dislike about ourselves.”
Jesus taught this same lesson two thousand years ago. In today’s Gospel, Jesus said “You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”
Recently, Brother Stephen talked about how Jesus taught us that the intent of the heart was what mattered. If we have slandered in our neighbor’s character in our mind, we have committed the sin even though we did not say it out loud.
The next time we are about to criticize someone, we must pause and ask ourselves “Do I do that?” We must examine our lives critically and honestly. Over the years, I have found that Carl was right. I do that. Then I work at being less a better person. I pray for the person I was about to criticize and for myself that I might strive to be closer to God and worry less about others around me.
When we are critical of someone, we are really judging that person. In today’s Gospel, Jesus also said to his disciples: “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.”
The next time we are about to criticize someone for any reason, we must pause and ask ourselves, “Do I do that?”
Remember. “We criticize others for the things we subconsciously dislike about ourselves.” Lord, help me not to judge others by my criticism, that you will be merciful to me, a sinner.
