Feet of Clay

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.” Romans 14:12-13

February 19, 2024

One of the ugly features of our current culture is that of self-adulation while at the same time passing judgment on previous generations. Statues are torn down, names erased from school buildings, street names changed. This is not to say that some of the so-called heroes of the past don’t need to receive a failing grade in their social and moral contributions. The term “feet of clay” as meaning “human flaws or shortcomings, especially in a great or idealized person,” needs to be viewed through the lens of the Bible. Such stalwarts of the faith as Abraham (he lied about his wife), Peter (he denied his Savior), and David (he committed adultery and murder by proxy). Martin Luther, the Reformer, was guilty of racial prejudice against the Jews. George Washington owned slaves. We are not prohibited from calling out those who have broken God’s moral laws. At the same time, may we be able to extend grace and mercy to others (the dead and the living) as we desire to receive grace and mercy from others. After all, have we not been forgiven by God in Christ for our sins? There is more to be said about the challenge of feet of clay. But at the first, we must come humbly before God as we engage in the judgment of others.
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“Teach me, Lord, to hate self-righteousness and to hate evil at the same time.”