Matthew 7:3 the mote in your friend’s eye

Jesus Christ taught shocking doctrines that destroyed the self-righteous pride and hypocritical judgment of the scribes and Pharisees. Here is one of those doctrines that made them hate him and plot to kill him. Before Christians try to judge the tiny mote of sin and failure in their friend’s eye, they must judge their own sins first. I am ashamed that I have been guilty of this same sin. You probably have too. It is one of the sins that nailed Jesus Christ to the cross.

Vivid word picture in the contrast of the mote and the beam

Two things stand out from the examination of the vivid Greek words used in this passage.

1. The material of the speck and plank are the same. This is like a tiny piece of sawdust and a huge unsawn log. This is like a tiny hint of exaggeration in your friend compared to a giant whopper of a lie by yourself. This is like a tiny little slap by your friend compared to a vicious unprovoked attack by yourself. It’s saddenly ironic how human nature tends to see our own sins so clearly in other people.
2. Even looking at a speck in your friend’s eye is wrong when you have a plank in your own eye. This isn’t an example of a friend coming to you and asking for help to remove a troublesome speck. This is the case of a meddlesome person intruding into their friend’s life to fix them. And, like Jesus’ other teaching, this sin is committed in the thoughts of the mind before it ever becomes an action.

(3) Why beholdest thou the mote . . .?
The Greek noun so translated means a “stalk” or “twig” rather than one of the fine particles of dust floating in the sun to which we attach the word “mote.” The illustration seems to have been a familiar one among the Jews, and a proverb all but verbally identical is found as a saying of Rabbi Tarphon. Like illustrations have been found in the proverbs and satires of every country, all teaching that men are keen-sighted as to the faults of others, blind as to their own. –Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

beholdest … considerest
It is the contrast between judging from the outside, and examination of the heart. The Greek verbs in this, and the Greek prepositions in the following verses, convey this contrast. –Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye:
by the “beam” is meant, greater sins, grosser abominations, and such as were more peculiar to the Pharisees; as pride, arrogance, a vain opinion of themselves, confidence in their own righteousness, hypocrisy, covetousness, and iniquity; things they did not advert to in themselves, when they loudly exclaimed against lesser evils in others. Such men must be of all persons inexcusable, who condemn that in others, which either they themselves do, or what is abundantly worse. – Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Jesus rebuked self-righteous pride and hypocritical judgment

Consider the extreme contrast between the believer who goes looking for sin in his fellow-believer compared to the godly example of serving one another in love.

• Lam 3:40 Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
• 2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves
• Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves
• Gal 6:1 you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted
• Heb 10:24 let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works
• James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work

It is a common misunderstanding that Christians are not supposed to judge at all. This false doctrine ignores the sin rather than loves the sinner, which results in more and more sin but not more and more love. Unfortunately, many Christians have contributed to this misunderstanding by vicious treatment of anyone who doesn’t agree with themselves. They often do this to make themselves look good (The extreme contrast between the self-righteous Pharisee and the humble Publican).

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Matthew 7:1-2)

You therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Romans 2:1)

Jesus taught humility and meekness to judge ourselves first

Jesus didn’t stop with the rebuke; he continued the teaching.

You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)

As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. (John 12:47)

First, judge yourself and ask God to take all the planks, logs, and beams out of your own eye so that you can see clearly to assist any brother or sister in their time of need.

Second, never condemn another child of God, but commend that child to God.

• Knit together in love
• Don’t hate anyone who God loves
• How will the world know you are my disciples?
• Attributes of a trusted counselor