Have you ever considered that Jesus calls the one sin a plank and the other a speck of saw dust, not because the plank is the more egregious sin but because the eradication of the plank from the one has the greater potential to build the Church? You can't build a house with saw dust but you can create quite a structure with planks.
One of the temptations of leadership in Churches and Christian organizations is too quickly discarding and disqualifying people because of their faults. I'm not suggesting that removing people from leadership, disfellowshipping members, or restricting people who are at risk is never the right decision. I am saying that those courses of action should be last resorts. As leaders, we can become so busy with tasks and disappointed with people that we lack the time and the emotional energy to help people heal and grow. I believe part of Jesus' teaching about planks is that when leaders work to help people heal and grow in a way that results in people leaving those planks behind, the Church is being built!
This text is found in Matthew 7:3-5. Now read it in conjunction with Matthew 16:17-18. He's building...the question is, are we supplying the planks He desires to build His Church?
Pastor Fred