Bread and Butter

There was this small town baker who bought his butter from a local farmer. One day, this baker weighed the butter he purchased and concluded that the farmer had been reducing the amount of butter in the packages but charging him the same. So the baker accused the farmer of fraud.

In the court, the judge asked the farmer, “Do you have measuring weights?” “No sir,” the farmer replied. “So how then do you manage to weigh the butter that you sell to the baker?” Then the farmer answered, “Sir, when the baker began buying his butter from me, I thought I’d better get my bread from him. Since then, I have been using his 1-pound loaf as the weight for the butter I sell. If the weight of the butter is wrong, he has only himself to blame.”

It is usually true that the traits that bother us in others are often the habits we have ourselves. Our bad habits and behavior patterns are the very ones that we most want to change in others. But why should others get to change first? Why not begin with you or me first? Naturally, it is easier to point fingers at others when it is a fault. But we are challenged when the person we thought could not change eventually gained self-improvement. We find it most difficult to change the bad habits and behavior within us. Therefore, we pass the changing process on others. However, there is always room for improvement. We are just too lazy to do something about it.

Do you find it easy to magnify others’ faults while excusing your own? If you are ready to criticize someone, check to see if you deserve the same criticism. Judge yourself first, and then lovingly forgive and help your neighbor. A forgiving spirit demonstrates that a person has received God’s forgiveness. If we are critical rather than compassionate, we will also receive criticism but if we treat others graciously, generously, or compassionately, these qualities will come back to us in full measure. Besides, aren’t we suppose to love others and not judge them?

Making hasty, unjust judgments about others is sin. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day seemed to be especially adept at this practice. They would try to elevate themselves by tearing down and slandering people’s character. Not only is this a sign of pride and self-satisfaction, but also it is certain that we will be judged in a similar manner. Jesus said, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged. And with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:2 (KJV).

When Christ said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1)” means He is against the judgmental, hypocritical attitude that breaks others apart in order to build one’s self up. It does not mean we should overlook the wrongdoings of others but simply it is a call to be discerning rather than being negative towards the other.

Sometimes, we behave like the baker in this story. We are so blatant and quick enough to point out the wrongdoings of others while we fail to recognize our own misconduct. I’ve known some people who were so quick to criticize and ridicule their church pastor (usually the most easy target). They keep on pointing out their pastor’s mistakes but they fail to do anything about their own shortcomings. They are often too worried on the wrongdoings of others that they have overlooked their own. The worst case, they keep on criticizing but never do anything to help make an improvement. Is there such a thing as good critic? A critic is one who tends to make harsh or carping judgments, a faultfinder. From the Greek word, ‘Kritikos’, means able to discern. So what makes a good critic? It is someone who forms and expresses judgments of the merits, value, and truth of the matter, not only its faults. In addition, wouldn’t it be a better place to live if a critic can point out your spots and help clean them up as well? Meaning, for someone to have a critical eye, should also have a ready-solution. A solution that helps not destructs.

It is clear that people often rationalize their sins by pointing out the same mistakes in others. What kinds of specks in others’ eyes are the easiest for you to remove? When you feel like criticizing, just remember look at your own ‘checklist’ first and you will find you’ve got less to say.

Let us not be too hard on the person who sins. For one day, the yardstick that we lay on another may someday be used as a measure to ours. Let’s not judge, or we’ll be judged in the same manner we did. It's just like looking in the mirror!

Bible passage to read: Matthew 7:1-5

“THE FAULT WE SEE IN ANOTHER
MAY BE THE REFLECTION OF OUR OWN”