This week I got a bid from a tree service for how much it would cost to prune the branches from the large trees that surround my house.   The bid: $700.  In these days of high fuel and food prices, I decided I would see how many of these branches I could prune myself.  I found a compact saw at the hardware store, tied my 40 foot ladder (and myself) to the tree trunk and prayed for divine protection. 

To my surprise I was able to get to and prune all but a few of the hanging branches.   Yes there were a few anxious moments as the large branches pivoted back toward the tree trunk (and my ladder) and then plummeted toward the house, hitting with a loud thud but all went well.  I write this with only minor scratches and NO broken bones or windows.   Mona has a different take on this whole adventure but all I can say is, “Oh ye of little faith.”

A crucial part of this pruning process was picking which branches to cut and for this I had to step back about 20 yards from the trees in order to see clearly which branches were hanging over the roof.  Once identified I would climb the ladder, tie myself in and start cutting.   You don’t just climb the tree and start cutting any branch that is close.  You need the perspective that comes from stepping back and surveying the job.

I share this story because I’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ words in Matthew 7: 1-5: 
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  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? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

Too many times I’ve been guilty of cutting first and gaining perspective later.  Jesus tells us that before we judge others, we should step back;  survey the situation and pray.  Take a look at your heart, your pride, prejudice, selfishness, insecurities and struggles.  Only after gaining perspective, can we proceed to try to try to prune the problems we see in others.

I think Jesus is also telling us:  love don’t label.  It’s so easy to label others, to put them in a nice, neat box in our minds;  but it’s much harder to love people, especially the people who are different than us or those who have hurt us. 

I like how Oswald Chambers expresses it:  “What God has done for me, he easily can do for you.  You have sawdust in your own eye, but I had a log in my eye.”