matthew 7

Read Matthew 7 at Bible Gateway.

“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.” Mat 7:3-5

The discussion on specks and planks (Mat 7:3-5) continues the Judge not theme begun earlier in the chapter. Isn’t it something that Jesus assigned the speck to our brother’s eye, but the plank to our own? So no matter who is reading this passage, that person has a plank, and everyone else has a speck. It is human nature to play down our own faults and play up our neighbor’s. Unregenerate man always tries to make the sin someone else is doing far worse than the sin that we are doing. Just listen to an argument between a husband and a wife!

The fact is, we are far too harsh on other’s faults, and far too lenient with our own. If we remember that we are the ones with the plank, it will help us to hold our tongue when we want to start “helping” someone else by pointing out what is wrong with them. “Help” like that really disguises a desire to accuse. Accusations are not what we are to be about, but edification! The enemy is the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10), so we ought to be very careful not to be about his business.