Luke 6:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

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?

NASB: 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?

CSB: "Why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, but don't notice the beam of wood in your own eye?

NLT: And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?

KJV: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

NKJV: And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?

Jesus has told His followers to love and forgive their enemies instead of judging and condemning them. By doing so, they will emulate their heavenly Father who will reward them graciously (Luke 6:27–38). Now, Jesus continues to drive home the point: we're not qualified to judge but we can gain the discernment to guide others away from sin.

He began by explaining that being quick to judge suggests a person lacking the spiritual awareness needed to judge in the first place. The first step is to follow Jesus, our teacher, who came to save—not condemn—sinners (John 3:17) and freely forgave those who murdered Him (Luke 6:39–40; 23:34).

Once we have decided to follow Jesus and become more like Him, we can start to evaluate ourselves and see if we are in unrepentant sin. The "eye" symbolizes how we spiritually perceive the world. It is much easier to identify someone else's faulty worldview than recognize our own—we're too close to it. Our worldview is determined by what we have learned and by our experiences. It is the height of arrogance to unthinkingly condemn how another views the world without first determining if our view is accurate (Luke 6:42).

The first way to check ourselves is to learn Jesus' worldview (Luke 6:40). If we learn from and emulate Him, we can be sure that our understanding truthfully reflects God's truth (2 Corinthians 13:5). This is because Jesus is truth and He speaks what God tells Him to (John 14:6, 10).

In the context of the passage, Jesus has revealed several logs that commonly blind us. We often assume God has cursed us if we're poor, hungry, and persecuted. We presume He's blessed those who are rich, full, and of whom the world speaks well (Luke 6:20–26). We believe we have the right to curse our persecutors, defend our honor, and demand justice (Luke 6:27–31). And we believe that when someone does us wrong, God gives us the wisdom and authority to hold that sin against our oppressor (Luke 6:37).

Jesus teaches that such beliefs do not reflect God's truth. If we wish to emulate Jesus, we will love our enemies, pray for them, forgive them, and even give generously to them. If we understand our own lack of wisdom and discernment, we will refrain from judging and condemning sinners—even those who sin against us. If we can do that, remove that log of entitlement, we will be able to help others with their own worldview issues.

The passage about the log and the speck is also in Matthew 7:3–5.

In Luke 6:37–42, Jesus finishes explaining precisely what it means to be His disciple. He began with a list of blessings His persecuted followers can expect. He listed consequences for those blessed by the ungodly world (Luke 6:20–26). He exhorts His followers to love their enemies with prayer and generosity (Luke 6:27–35). Here, He applies mercy (Luke 6:36) with gracious judgment and forgiveness. Finally, He calls the crowd to have good hearts and lives that are founded on Him (Luke 6:43–49). The sentiments behind Jesus' teachings here are scattered around Matthew and Mark.

Luke 6 contains two main sections of teaching and calls to discipleship. Luke 6:1–16 continues the pattern of Luke 5. The two ways in which Jesus sets aside tradition—this time by taking authority over the Sabbath—are paired with His call for the Twelve disciples. Luke 6:17–49 records Jesus' teaching on the ''level place,'' or His ''Sermon on the Plain,'' and a call to a crowd for general discipleship. Much of this material has parallels in Matthew 5 through 7, but it's not clear if the two accounts are of the same event. As a travelling teacher, Christ likely gave the same general message multiple times.

Luke 6 completes Jesus' call for disciples and followers that started in Luke 5. Luke 5:1—6:16 consists of three calls for disciples, each paired with two revolutionary teachings about Jesus' authority that increasingly infuriate the religious leaders. Luke 6:17–49 continues the theme with a general call for followers and a description of their responsibilities. In Luke 7:1—8:3, Jesus interacts with the other: Gentiles, women, and even the dead. This is followed by another general call (Luke 8:4–21), a series of miracles (Luke 8:22—9:17), and a final call for the Twelve to follow Him even more deeply (Luke 9:18–50).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.