I saw that Art Linkletter died recently at the age of 97. I remember in grade school my whole family used to sit around our black and white TV and watch his show “People are Funny.” And as I thought about that show, I got to thinking just how funny people really are. I don’t mean funny “ha ha”, but funny peculiar. You see, I think most people have a peculiar view of their world. I think most people see themselves somewhere near the center of their world. Let me give you some examples.
Many years ago I was in Boston and thought I was going to get killed on a particular taxi ride. The cab driver tried to calm my fears when he told me that Bostonians are some of the most polite drivers in the world. I told him I disagreed based on the way they were jockeying for position to exit the airport. That’s when he told me, tongue in cheek, that the motto of Boston drivers is, “You first, after me.”
Or how about this. Give a picture of a group of people to someone who’s in the picture, and the first thing he’ll do is look at himself. He’ll usually feign modesty and say, “That’s a terrible picture of me,” and expect you to disagree; but you’re too busy looking at the image of yourself to even see him.
And have you ever noticed that when you have a disagreement with a friend where unkind words are exchanged, it’s not because he’s wrong and you’re right or vice versa, it’s because his faults are different from your faults. You see, while we can’t tolerate other people’s flaws, we can accept our own. They’re like an old shoe–they’re comfortable. They’re who I am. That’s my charm. Take me or leave me.
It’s the same with sin. It’s easier to see sin in others than it is to see it in ourselves. Or more correctly, it’s easier to admit that what someone else is doing is sin, but what we’re doing is in some gray area that God never intend to be considered as sin.
Now, you may have noticed I’ve used a little exaggeration in my examples. In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus also used exaggeration to make His point when he said, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” He then said, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone actually practiced that? I mean, if we really corrected our own sins before helping our brothers and sisters to recognize theirs? In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus said, “Judge not so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Ask yourself: Do you really want to be judged using the standards by which you judge others? It’s something to think about.
Yes, people are funny. But when it comes to sin, I don’t think God is laughing.
Thom Fishow
August 22, 2010