Monday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time

n Saint Matthew’s gospel the worse sins are hypocrisy and judgment, and they are closely related. We first encounter hypocrisy in the chilling story of King Herod: He sent them (the magi) to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."

Herod’s homage intends to kill the Child and, failing that, “He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under…”

In sharp contrast to Herod’s homage is that of the magi: They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

 Whenever we consider the tendencies to judgment and hypocrisy in our own hearts and communities, we should remember the story of King Herod.

But Jesus gives us another excellent parable today, about removing the sliver from your brother’s eye when you have a log in your own. It doesn’t make sense. How can you dare to judge another and to execute judgment on another, offering to perform this “procedure” on someone’s eye – an extremely sensitive organ – when you can barely see at all?

With this parable Jesus reminds us that offering advice is a kind of judgment. Offered by the wrong person or by the right person in the wrong spirit or at the wrong time is usually less than helpful. As Benjamin Franklin said, “No one wants advice, even when they ask for it.”

A rule of thumb for offering advice: Is it true, is it helpful, and is it kind?  If the suggestion fails on any count, it should not be given. We might add the conditions of welcome and timely. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “I have rarely regretted the things I did not say.”

Faith teaches us to let God be the judge because God is infinitely more merciful and more just than any of us. God alone has no log in his eye; God alone sees clearly what each person needs to know, and when.