What does it mean to “take the plank out of your own eye” (Matthew 7:4)?

Response

In His great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ sometimes used a literary device called hyperbole to emphasize a point. In one instance, Jesus questioned, “Why do you see the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye but ignore the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you have a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to help your brother with the speck” (Matthew 7:3-5).

Jesus painted a vivid picture of someone struggling to remove a tiny speck from a friend’s eye while having a large plank obstructing their own vision. This scenario would be impossible. It is clear that Jesus was speaking figuratively to emphasize that people often overlook their own faults while focusing on the weaknesses of others. This part of Christ’s sermon addressed the common human tendency to notice flaws in others and be judgmental of their sins while neglecting, downplaying, or justifying our own sins.

When the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, He addressed the same issue by telling the scribes and Pharisees, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” «So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. », (John 8:7, ESV). Jesus was not excusing the woman’s sin but highlighting the importance of being consistent, honest, and humble when judging others.

The Lord wants us to remember the lesson of the blade.The principle of judgment cuts both ways. When we judge others, we condemn ourselves as well. If we are not willing to evaluate ourselves honestly and accurately, we’ll undermine our right to scrutinize the lives of others. Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2; see also Luke 6:37-42). Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 11:31, “If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged” (CSB).

Sadly, Christ’s instruction to “take the plank out of your own eye” is often misinterpreted as a general prohibition against all judgment. We can’t overlook the fact that Jesus said both the speck and the plank were to be removed. Believers are indeed called to help other Christians who become entangled in sin. Paul said, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path” «Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. », (Galatians 6:1, NLT). But before we can help a fellow brother or sister onto the right path—before we can remove the speck from another’s eye—we must first deal honestly with our own sin.

In the Lord’s illustration, the fact that there is a “plank” in our eye, but only a “speck” in our brother’s eye, exposes the hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and pride at the heart of the matter. Somehow, we can’t discern that our own sins are more glaringly serious than those we concentrate on in others. We criticize others while absolving ourselves. Yet, often, those faults we pass judgment on in others are the very same flaws we can’t bear to admit in ourselves.

The Lord’s choice of an illustration involving

Examining the eye also relates to a person’s overall spiritual condition: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).

The Lord urges all believers to live holy, godly lives (1 Peter 1:14-16). To achieve this, we must always remember our tendency to overlook our own faults while pridefully focusing on those same faults in others. All ungodliness is a matter of concern, whether it exists in ourselves or in others. If we aim to assist and restore someone else, we must truthfully confront our own sins and confess them—initially removing the plank from our own eye.