Christ warns us about judging others (Mt 7:1); we’ll be judged in the same way we judge. (2) This doesn’t mean we’re forbidden from observing and acknowledging sin in others (1Co 5:11); it evidently means we’re not to sit as judges and decide what penalty someone else deserves because of their sin: we’re to leave that to God. (Ro 12:19)
The cure for this mindset is humility: esteeming others better than ourselves. (Php 2:3) So Christ asks us, as we sit in judgment of another, looking at the spec in their eye, why we aren’t focusing on the beam in our own eye, the problem lurking within which is much worse. (Mt 7:3)
This evidently implies that if we’re judging others, deciding what they deserve, looking down on them or disvaluing them in any way, we’re exalting ourselves rather than dealing with our own sin, those carnal patterns embedded within, of which we ought to be aware, which are more diabolical than anything we can observe in others.
If we aren’t being observant, and remain unaware of the wicked potential within our own hearts, perhaps we haven’t been striving against sin (He 12:4), perfecting holiness (2Co 7:1); maybe we’re content in lukewarmness. (Re 3:16)
Humility freely admits that, were it not for the grace of God, I might very well be the most evil person who has ever lived. (1Ti 1:15) It has practical experience in the arena (Ro 7:18), battling the carnal mind. (Ro 8:7) Evidently, the only reason I’m not sinning worse than everyone else is God’s gracious restraint.
When we’re looking up at others in a moral context, figuring our neighbor’s likely on higher ground in spite of the sin they’re committing, it’s much easier to acknowledge the fact of their sin without concerning ourselves with what they deserve, knowing we’d deserve worse if God left us to ourselves.
If we can find this perspective, we’ll be pleased when God takes pleasure in being merciful to others, and truly wish them the best, rather than becoming resentful and bitter. (Jon 3:10-4:1) Rather than exalting ourselves, we’ll pity those who haven’t found the freedom to walk in the light, as He is in the light, in fellowship with Him (1Jn 1:7), and pray for them. (Mt 7:44)
How can we help others trapped in sin while we’re still enslaved ourselves? (Mt 7:4) Once we’ve discovered God’s deliverance from sin, and are experiencing more and more freedom, we can help others find the way (5), if they’re truly looking for it. (6)
When Christ challenges us for examining specs in our brother’s eye (vs 3), He is evidently presuming we have a beam in our own we should be focused on instead. Then He questions why we would be telling our brother to let us pull the spec out of their eye (vs 4), while having a beam in our own.
These challenges seem to implicate us for beholding sin in others and offering to help, which seems like a charitable thing to do. (Php 2:4) How might we read His challenge as appropriate?
Reading carefully, the brother with the spec isn’t asking for help (otherwise we wouldn’t be telling him to let us pluck it out), but he is aware of the issue and is intent on helping himself (otherwise we wouldn’t even know about his problem). However, we with the beam seem oblivious to our own condition, yet we think we have the expertise and wisdom to impose on our brother and intermeddle with his efforts to manage his own affairs.
So, the metaphor seems to be describing two general types of people: [1] those visibly troubled by minor sins intent on improving themselves; [2] those plagued with major sins but have no associated pain — they’re oblivious to their dismal state and yet are looking for opportunities to fix the world, to monitor, supervise and assist in the moral betterment of those of type [1].
Who wants others to try to pull specs out of their eye? Don’t we prefer to do this ourselves? engaging others only as a last resort, in an emergency? If we do ask for help, won’t we ask those who are gentle, experienced and surgical, those with a healthy sensitivity in keeping their own eyes clear?
People with major vision impediments who offer to help us without being asked are just dangerous; people who think they know what’s wrong with the world and how to fix it when their own lives are a mess.
Christ does seem to be admonishing those who focus on the sins of others, who try to set others straight, who haven’t set their own house in order. When we see others in sin, we should certainly pray for them and offer to help if we’re asked. If their sin is impacting us directly then we have a duty to confront it in love, and to separate ourselves and those under our care from harm and evil influence as needed.
But our primary focus should be on our own sin and brokenness; this is enough to keep us busy our entire lives.