You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Christ reproves the scribes and Pharisees who condemn all about them with a magisterial and supercilious spirit. We must not judge our brother rashly or uncharitably, nor assume an authority over him we allow not him over us; we must not judge the hearts of others, nor make the worst of them, nor infer invidious things from their words and actions.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 7:1-6
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye,.... Very rightly does our Lord call such a man an hypocrite, who is very free in remarking and reproving other men's sins, and covering his own; and indeed, one end of his critical observations, rigid censures, and rash judgments is, that he might be thought to be holier than he is.
Verse 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out, etc. Christ directs us to the proper way of forming an opinion of others, and of reproving and correcting them. By first amending our own faults, or casting the beam out of our eye, we can consistently advance to correct the faults of others. There will then be no hypocrisy in our conduct. We shall also see clearly to do it.