How often has this happened to you? You’re out and about when all of a sudden you get something in your eye. You know it’s something very small, but it is such an irritation. You do everything in your power to remove it. It takes all your effort and attention. In fact, you can’t do anything else until it gets flushed out, right?
Think about that the next time you read Mathew 7:4-5. “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” The context of this passage has to do with Jesus teaching about judging. The literally meaning of judging is to come to a final conclusion about a matter. Jesus’ point is to be careful when you put yourself in the seat of judgment. Before you go looking at the faults in others, take a good look at yourself first. By the way, if you think a small speck in the eye hurts, imagine how a plank feels.