Matt 7:3-5

 Matt 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.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say to not notice the speck or to ignore the speck in your brother’s eye. What He says is to first get rid of the plank in your own eye and then you can see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eye.

If we think of sin as being something in our eye we would understand that none of us want that. I don’t want a speck let alone a plank in my eye. It hurts. I want it out. Of course I don’t want someone to help me who has a plank in their eye because they can’t see clearly to get my speck out PLUS they are going to cause more damage by hitting me in the head with their plank.

On the other hand I do want someone who had a plank in their eye and removed it because they will have clear sight to do so, they won’t cause further damage to my person AND they will have a great amount of compassion in the removal. When you have lived with the plank and experienced the removal of said plank you tend to have a great amount of compassion for those dealing with eye issues.