Judge Not: Moving From Condemnation to Mercyනියැදිය

Day 4 – The Danger of Hypocrisy

Scripture: Matthew 7:3-5
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is always a plank in your eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

There's a reason Jesus used humor and exaggeration in this teaching: it's ridiculous and uncomfortable at the same time. Picture it: a man with a giant wooden beam sticking out of his eye trying to perform delicate eye surgery on someone else. The concept is absurd and dangerous, yet it's precisely what we do when we judge others while ignoring our sins.

Hypocrisy is one of the easiest, unintentional traps to fall into. Most of us aren't walking around thinking, "I'm better than everyone else." But when we fixate on the flaws of others, we forget to check our hearts. Slowly, our ability to see gets clouded by pride, self-righteousness, and the need to feel superior.

Jesus isn't saying we should never help others deal with sin. He's not saying ignore the speck. He clarifies that helping others is part of living in the community. But the problem comes when we skip the first, most crucial step: examining ourselves.

"First, take the plank out of your eye." Why? Because if you don't, you're in no position to help anyone else. How can you see someone else's imperfections clearly if you can't see your sin? You're not offering help; you're commanding judgment, pushing people away.

Here's the truth most of us don't want to admit: the sin we judge most harshly in others often reveals something unresolved in us. We spot pride because we struggle with it. We rage at selfishness because we see it in ourselves. We fixate on someone else's sexual sin, anger, or dishonesty because deep down, we're battling the same thing, or we're afraid we could.

That's what makes hypocrisy so dangerous; it is blinding! Hypocrisy convinces us that their sin is worse and that they are the problem. Meanwhile, we're walking around with a plank in our eye, smashing into people and causing more harm than good.

Jesus calls it out plainly: "You hypocrite." That word stings. It should. It means "actor," someone performing righteousness rather than living it. And isn't that what judgment does? It makes us perform holiness instead of pursuing it. We point at the speck in someone else's eye so no one looks too closely at ours.

But Jesus doesn't leave us there. He establishes a new norm: self-examination, then restoration.

The gospel starts by looking inward, not so we stay there or feel condemned, wallowing in our guilt, but so we see clearly. So, we approach others as judges and fellow sinners saved by grace. Only then can we help someone else carry their burden. Only then can we correct in love, not pride.

When you start dealing with your heart first, something shifts, and life becomes more beautiful as your tone softens and your empathy grows. You realize how much patience you've needed from God and start offering it to others. You stop seeing people as problems to fix and start seeing them as people to love.

Paul says it this way in Galatians 6:1, "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." Gentle restoration, not harsh condemnation. But notice the warning: watch yourself. Because pride is always lurking, waiting to turn mercy into judgment.

Let’s practice introspection: where am I ignoring the plank in my eye? Where have I been quick to judge but slow to repent? Who have I criticized without considering my own need for grace? These are tough questions, but they will free you from the pride that comes from judgment.

Let's trade hypocrisy for humility. Let's be people who do the hard work of self-reflection, who allow God to search our hearts, confess quickly, and repent often. The more unrestrained we are from our planks, the more we'll see not just sin but the people whom God loved enough to restore them.

Prayer Focus:

Father, I confess that I've been quick to see the flaws in others while ignoring my sin. Search my heart today. Show me where I need to repent. Remove the planks from my eyes so I can see, not to judge, but to love and restore. Make me gentle. Make me humble. Make me more like Jesus. It is in the name of Jesus we pray, amen.