MAT 7:3-5 says, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
The teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ clearly reveal the Pharisaical hypocrisy that is in the heart of man by nature. “Thou hypocrite” means you are judging your brother with a beam of self-righteousness in your eye and sinning against Jesus’ command to “judge not.”
A beam of self-righteousness most often leads to judging vocally. We can paraphrase: “Television has slain its thousands and the telephone has slain its ten-thousands,” because we call up our friends and say, “Did you hear…” or “Did you know…” if we see something in our brother to condemn. This is dangerous, and I do not think any of us can exclude ourselves.
When God judges a man, He weighs his actions by the motive of his heart. Only God can judge, because He knows and understands every motive and every thought. We read in Hannah’s prayer of 1-SA 2:3, “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” We may arrogantly judge others with our mouths for the small things that we see in them, not noticing the larger beams in our own eyes, but the Lord is the only One who knows the truth. If we are walking humbly before the Lord, the Holy Spirit will convince us of sin. The conviction of that sin immediately strikes us so that we have to make a second phone call and ask for forgiveness.
Our text says, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” There is only one obvious answer: we lack self-knowledge; we did not see the beam in our own eye, which is why we so readily saw the mote in our brother’s eye. If the Lord gives us a glimpse of the evil thoughts in our own hearts, then we would see that they so far surpass our brother’s faults that we would not have a thing to complain about.
The word beholdest comes from the Greek word blepo (blep-o), which is a strong word for “beholding vividly, intently, or earnestly.” We strain to see the mote; we search it out to prove that it is there; we make it our business to find out if we do not really know for sure. We become busy men in other people’s business. Jesus is asking: “Why do you strain to find the smallest fault in your brother, without seeing the greater fault in yourself?”
Jesus teaches in MAT 23:24, “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” A gnat is a small insect that you need bright light to see. We strain at the smallest thing in our brother while we swallow a camel. We will not see the beam in our own eye if we are straining to find the mote in our brother’s eye.
If we see the beam in our own eye, we will not see anything so small as the mote in our brother’s eye. We will see them with the right motives and attitudes if we see that our own motives need to be cleaned up. In MAT 12:35 we read, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” If we have a little self-knowledge, we begin to see the good in a man rather than the evil.
One man was speaking very critically to a second man about a third man. When the second man was done listening, he asked, “Wouldn’t you say he is honest, in spite of all these things you have said?” The first said, “Yes, I would have to admit, he is honest.” The second man told the third man (who was criticizing the first man), “He told me that you are honest.” So the third man in turn made a comment that honored the first man, which the second man repeated to the first man. Two weeks later, the first man and the third man were friends. This is a true story! The point is: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” If our hearts are evil, we will say evil things about our neighbors. The tongue can set the whole course of nature on fire.
Our text speaks of being critical of our brother. We should not look at our brother critically to see if we can determine something wrong, but (out of the good treasure in our hearts) look for the good in him and appreciate those qualities. We ought not to be straining to see the mote in our brother’s eye while overlooking the beams in our own. A mote is “a small spot, a small particle of dust you can see floating in a beam of sunlight, or the smallest of all objects.” In the eyes of the Lord, the sin of being critical is greater than any sin you might strain to find in your brother!
LUK 18:11 tells us, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” He saw all the little motes in everyone else’s eyes, but not the hypocrisy in his own eye. Those who are judgmental and critical of their brothers are those whom Jesus describes in REV 3:17; “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” No one who is busy talking about his neighbor, bringing up evil out of the evil treasure of his own heart, understands his own heart. He is hypocritical and self-righteous.
Such lack of self-knowledge and confession of our sins hinders our prayers. We cannot pray to the Lord with hypocritical beams in our own eyes. LUK 18:13-14 contrasts the publican’s prayer with that of the Pharisee: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [Jesus said,] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The publican did not see the mote in the Pharisee’s eye; he saw the beam in his own eye. Our prayers will be hindered if we lack self-knowledge, if we pray with such a haughty, arrogant spirit, or if we pray thus with ourselves, but the publican went to his house justified. The Lord heard his prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” because he had self-knowledge; he saw his own
deplorable condition and he prayed that the Lord would take care of the beam in his eye.
The Lord tells us He will not hear our prayers when we are walking in violation of the second table of the law, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. ISA 1:15 says, “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” The Lord sees us as murderers when we lack love for our fellow man, because our hearts are filled with bitterness and envy and because we are passing judgment upon our brother by looking for the smallest fault in him.
We are called upon to seek righteous judgment, to observe the second table of the law. In ISA 1:16-17 we read, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Righteous judgment is to judge the oppressed as worthy of mercy because they are in need.
When we do these things, then God calls us to reason with Him. If we pass righteous judgment and are of a forgiving spirit toward our brothers, then He will forgive our transgressions. He will talk to us as a man talks to another man. He will condescend to our level of reasoning. ISA 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” He will forgive all our sins if we will walk before Him, extending mercy to the fatherless, the widow, and the poor. We must walk in humility, not seeking to accuse others for what they have done. We must plead for the widow, not blaspheme or slander her.
The next verse says, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land,” ISA 1:19. The Lord is trying to reason with us: He will forgive our filthy hearts if we are obedient. People do not realize that there is a contingency with God: He will reward us according to our doings, but we may not claim His blessings if we completely ignore what He tells us to do. If we remain arrogant and haughty and Pharisaical, the Lord will not put away our sin.
If we are critical and judgmental, we are unforgiving. If we are looking for the mote in our brother’s eye, the Lord will be displeased with us. ISA 1:20 says, “But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and you and I will be judged by the Word on the Day of Judgment: “cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Did we do these things? If not, the sword will devour us on the Day of Judgment.
Those who strain to find the mote in their brother’s eye violate the spirit of both tables of the law, which is love. If there is love, we will not strain to uncover another man’s shame with a hypocritical pretense of defending the law. What a horror to strive to uncover someone else’s shame! It is a gross violation of both tables of the law of love.
All the law and the Gospel hang upon the spirit of God’s law of love. According to the Gospel of Jesus, observing the law of love is the most positive evidence of salvation. Jesus said in JOH 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” Where are your affections? Do you delight to do His will? He commands us to love God above all and our neighbor as ourselves, not searching for some mote to uncover, but covering their sins with love. What greater evidence can we find in Scripture of our eternal security than what we see in JOH 14:23? “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” We prove that we love Him by keeping His commandments, by keeping the law of love.
Our Saviour purchased our salvation through obedience to the law of love. In JOH 15:8-10 we read, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” Under the law of love, we do not strain to uncover a fault in our brother, for his motives are put in the best light when we question our own motives first.
If we have all the spiritual gifts yet lack charity, which is a one-sided Christian love required in the law of love, we have nothing. No matter what gifts you claim, or what experiences you have had, if you do not love, the Bible says you have nothing. 1CO 13:1-3 says, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” Charity is the love that is required under the law of love. It is a merciful, one-sided, forgiving love.
The exercise of this charity seeks to cover our brother’s sin instead of straining to uncover it. This is the contrast between the hypocritical beam of self-righteousness that we have in our eye by nature and love under the second table of the law. 1PE 4:8 says, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” Out of the good treasure in your heart you bring forth good things to cover his sin.
We find the fruit of such charity in COL 3:12-14; “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” If you do not have charity, you do not have anything. If we are looking for the mote in our brother’s eye, we do not have charity. We may boast of great gifts and experiences, and speak in the tongues of men and angels, but we have no claim upon salvation if we still search for the mote in our brother’s eye.
This bond of perfection, which is charity, so beautifully contrasts with straining to find the smallest fault in our brother. We see in 1CO 13:4-6, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” Charity always gives the other person the benefit of the doubt. We do not rejoice to see that someone else has something that we can gossip about, but rejoice in the truth. The Word of God is a mirror in which we can see the corruption of our own hearts. If we forgive, then we can be forgiven.
Straining at a gnat is only the revelation of the hatred that dwells in the heart. When we do so much to try to uncover evil in another person’s heart, we reveal our own hatred. PRO 10:12 says, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” When you and I seek out something to talk about, we stir up strife, “but love covereth all sins,” not just the sins that we can forgive easily or that did not affect us.
Straining at the mote in our brother’s eye violates the law of love. GAL 5:14-15 says, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
The contrast between loving a brother enough to cover his sin and straining to find fault is also clearly revealed in 1JO 4:20-21; “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” When we strain to find fault in another, we reveal hatred.
When we despise our brother with a hypocritical, judgmental spirit, we despise God. 1TH 4:8-9 says, “He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” If the Lord has given us the Spirit of Christ, we will not despise our fellow man, no matter what sin he has fallen into. The first, urgent desire of our hearts will be to restore such a one, considering ourselves lest we fall. I do not need to teach you about brotherly love; if you possess the Spirit you have already been taught.
Those who strain to find fault with their brother reveal that they hate him and are blinded by a hypocritical spirit. 1JO 2:9-10 tells us, “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother [and covers his brother’s sins] abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.” You will not stumble if you are not casting stumbling blocks in front of your brothers.
Love is the heartbeat of the life of Christ, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,” COL 1:27. Charity, which is the Spirit of Christ, abides forever.
Love is the heartbeat of the law of the Gospel. MAT 22:40 says, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The law of the Gospel hangs on love. If we hate, if we uncover our brother’s fault, we are not of God, for love covers sin. “Charity vaunteth not; charity thinketh no evil.”
Those who strain for gnats swallow a camel. They consume the heart of the second table of the law. Those who strain to find fault become hardened hypocrites, blind to the law of love. 1JO 2:11 says, “But he that hateth his brother [straining to find fault with him] is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” He that searches to find fault in his brother walks in the dark.
Saul of Tarsus thought he was doing God’s service by finding fault with the brethren, but when Christ revealed His love, Saul saw his blindness.
The Word of God teaches the exact opposite of faultfinding in JAM 1. Verse 19 says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” The judgmental person is quick to speak and condemn, working wrath and discord.
Verses 20-22 say, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” You are deceiving your soul if you are not a doer of the Word! You are still in the pit of condemnation; you have not been saved from anything if you have not been saved from the power of sin. If you are still walking with a slanderous hatred for your brother, if you lack charity, you have nothing.
Most often, if one who passes judgment would have spoken to the person as Jesus required in MAT 18:15, he would have found out why that person was doing what he was doing. Once my own father and brother (they were both elders) came to me to demand that I apologize to another brother, but I responded that they had disqualified themselves as judges, because they had not asked me what happened first. Jesus said in MAT 18:15, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” If something is bothering me about you, and I share that with you alone, I might realize that your motive is different than what I thought. I may find out that you and I do not have a quarrel at all. If I am swift to hear and slow to speak, I can give you a chance to explain. If we would obey Christ’s command procedurally, there would be fewer problems in this
world.
God’s dear children must be spared from these hypocritical sins that are in our hearts by nature. We all offend in many ways, but we need to come before the Lord and be forgiven by forgiving others.
David, the man after God’s own heart, realized that he had judged prematurely when Nathan said, “Thou art the man.” 2SA 12:5-6 says, “And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” He passed judgment without talking to “the man.”
Only through grace and mercy can any one of us stand justified before God’s bar. We can say we know other people who pass judgment, but how can we put our hand in our own bosom and take it out without it being leprous? Who can come before the bar of God and plead “Not guilty”? If we see our guilt, and we pray for God to deliver us from it and give us the Spirit of Christ, then the Lord is faithful to convict us of sin. Before we even commit a sin, the Holy Spirit will convict us so we can plead with the Lord to deliver us from the power of the sin that is in our own hearts. Our own sin becomes so strong and ugly that we cannot even find the small sin that we were going to uncover in our brother!
2SA 12:13 tells us, “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” We must come before the Lord like David and say, “I have sinned against the LORD.” The Lord said, “[W]ith what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you,” MAR 4:24. David justly deserved to die. He had already passed judgment, condemning the man to death for his crime, but the Lord forgave him, because David immediately repented.
This is the ebbing and flowing of our spiritual life. We see corruption constantly boiling up in our hearts, but if we walk tenderly before the Lord, He is faithful and will send His Holy Spirit to convict us. All of a sudden, in the court of our conscience, we stand guilty and it sends us back to the mercy seat: “Lord, I have sinned; forgive me. Lord, give me the Spirit of Christ; take away these hard thoughts and cleanse my guilty heart.” Then the Lord forgives us and delivers us from the power of that sin and we have no judgment left for the next man. How could David further judge the next man when it had been brought home that he was the man?
Who can plead innocent before God’s bar except those whose substitute pleads their case? 1JO 1:8-2:1 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He is our attorney, our representative who stands to argue our case. Our only hope is in our advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous. We can only say, like David, “I have sinned against the LORD.” We can only plead, “Guilty.” Then Christ raises His right hand, and on His palm is the proof that the penalty is paid. In the courts of heaven, only He can justify us before the Father, because He paid the
penalty, and the justice of God demands our acquittal for He cannot allow the penalty to be paid twice. We cannot come as attorney pro se; we cannot plead our own case. Christ Jesus must be our advocate, because He pleads our case on the basis of His own merit.
When we have the Spirit of Christ, we cannot see fault in our brother, even if he has the beam and we have the mote, because that mote would be enough to blind us so that we could not see the beam. God’s Word tells us in ROM 14:13, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.”
Amen.
