Hebrews 12:12-17, instructs us to strengthen and give direction to one another, and follows a section on how God disciplines us out of love. He in turn wants us to minister to one another in our lives in this sinful world, resulting in healing, peace, and holiness. An important part of this ministry of helping others comes in verse 15: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. The phrase “looking carefully” comes from the Greek word episkopéō from which we get the words episcopal and bishop. It means to look upon, inspect, oversee, look after, care for.
In this context, the reason for looking is to help prevent someone from having a root of bitterness from which comes trouble and the defilement of many. Esau is cited here as an example. Most of us have known someone with bitterness and unforgiveness in their hearts. This is a serious matter and we are instructed to oversee and care for those in such a state.
There is another type of looking which panders to our prideful sin nature. That is found in Matthew 7:3-5:
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. This type of looking is judgmental, condemning, and hypocritical. There is no place for a spirit of condemnation to come from us. Even Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17) We must examine ourselves first and deal with our own sin. Once that is done, we will have the clear vision to properly see and help with another’s sin. May God help us all in this important matter of “looking”!