Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 6:41 

“And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” – Luke 6:41

This section of Luke is all about judging others.  “And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” Luke 6:37. In this particular verse, what is here understood by judging, is the considering of the faults of our neighbor with a look only sharpened by mistrust, and not tempered by love and self-knowledge. It is not “judging of a righteous judgment,” In other words, it is judging someone without any understanding as to why something was done. 

Now, according to the ministry Enduring Word, there are several judgements we need to be careful.  We break this command when we think the worst of others. We break this command when we only speak to others of their faults. We break this command when we judge an entire life only by its worst moments. We break this command when we judge the hidden motives of others. We break this command when we judge others without considering ourselves in their same circumstances. We break this command when we judge others without being mindful that we ourselves will be judged. 

Now in our focus verse, Jesus brings up hypocrisy.  “And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” Luke 6:41. The figures of a speck and a plank are real examples used to bring about an important idea. Jesus shows that we are generally far more tolerant of our own sin than we are to the sin of others.  And we see a biblical example of this in John’s gospel.  “And the scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say? And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst.” John 8:3-9.  What Jesus is saying here in John is that if anyone is perfect in all their ways,  then they have the right to stone her.  But no-one was perfect, so they left one by one from Jesus and the lady, because they knew of sins they had committed.  And this is the same idea in our focus verse.  Jesus is telling them they have no right to judge others if they themselves sin. 

This is a very important for us to follow.  We also read the following prior to our focus verse.  “And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?” Luke 6:40. Our focus verse is loosely linked with what has preceded in that if a blind man leads a blind man he is like a person having a beam in his eye while trying to correct another’s faults. If we are at fault as well, we do not have the right to judge another.  But I believe we can work together for the purpose of helping another while they help us.  One who is unable to see his or her own imperfections while seeing so vividly the imperfections of others is clearly a hypocrite. “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42.  In other words, fix yourself before you attempt to fix another.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.