Justice versus conscience

The phrase “To see the speck in another’s eye, but not the beam in one’s own” is a biblical metaphor often used to caution against being critical of others while neglecting one’s own faults or shortcomings. The saying is rooted in a teaching of Jesus Christ found in the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the Gospel of Matthew 7:3-5 (King James Version):

“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.”

Here’s a modern English version of the same passage from the New International Version (NIV):

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

The key points of this teaching can be summarized as follows:

1. Avoid Hypocrisy: The teaching highlights the danger of hypocrisy, where a person criticizes or judges another for a small fault (“mote” or “speck” in their eye) while overlooking a greater fault (“beam” or “log”) in their own life.

2. Self-Reflection and Self-Improvement: It encourages individuals to reflect on their own actions, behaviors, and shortcomings before pointing out faults in others. The focus should be on personal growth and self-improvement.

3. Empathy and Understanding: Before offering criticism or advice to others, one should strive to understand their own faults and challenges, fostering a sense of empathy and understanding towards others.

4. Fairness and Balance: It emphasizes fairness and balance in judgment, suggesting that one should address their own issues before attempting to help or correct others.

In essence, the teaching promotes self-awareness, humility, and empathy in our interactions with others, encouraging us to be genuine in our intentions to help and support while recognizing our own imperfections.