In this passage in Matthew, Jesus is speaking about judgement, specifically of judging one another. In verse 3, the challenge is to those (maybe most of us), who are quick to judge someone else, before first considering whether we are without sin & qualified to do so. So the "mote in thy brother's eye" speaks about us finding a small dry stalk (Gk. karphos) of sin in another person, when there is very likely a "beam" (Gk. dokon, a log, a timber beam) that is prominent in our own lives. The fact that Jesus picks upon the eye as the target, suggests that we stare at the person with conviction & judgement, finding fault based on our own perceptions, rather than closing our eyes & having a good look at ourselves first before speaking & casting judgement.
And to make matters worse, that judgemental person even has the gall to suggest that he helps the other one to remove that sin from him, when rather, he should attend to his own faults first (vv 4,5). And to this sin, the Jewish leaders were guilty of. An old story shows this truth clearly:
"A small-town baker bought his butter from a local farmer. One day he weighed the butter and concluded that the farmer had been reducing the amount in the packages but charging the same price. So the baker accused the farmer of fraud & took him to court.
In court the judge asked the farmer, "Do you have measuring weights?" "No sir," replied the farmer.
"How then do you manage to weigh the butter that you're selling to others?"
The farmer answered, "When the baker began buying his butter from me, I thought, 'that's nice of him - I'd better get my bread from him'. So I have been using his one pound loaf as the weight for the butter I sell. Sir, if the weight of the butter is wrong, he has only himself to blame & the error does not lie with me." I think you get Jesus' message to us.
And to make matters worse, that judgemental person even has the gall to suggest that he helps the other one to remove that sin from him, when rather, he should attend to his own faults first (vv 4,5). And to this sin, the Jewish leaders were guilty of. An old story shows this truth clearly:
"A small-town baker bought his butter from a local farmer. One day he weighed the butter and concluded that the farmer had been reducing the amount in the packages but charging the same price. So the baker accused the farmer of fraud & took him to court.
In court the judge asked the farmer, "Do you have measuring weights?" "No sir," replied the farmer.
"How then do you manage to weigh the butter that you're selling to others?"
The farmer answered, "When the baker began buying his butter from me, I thought, 'that's nice of him - I'd better get my bread from him'. So I have been using his one pound loaf as the weight for the butter I sell. Sir, if the weight of the butter is wrong, he has only himself to blame & the error does not lie with me." I think you get Jesus' message to us.
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