Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 7:4

"Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?" — Matthew 7:4 (ASV)

Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?

A blind man cannot be a good oculist; he should see well who tries to mend other people's eyes; but with a beam in one's own eye, it must be poor work to attempt to take motes out of the eyes of others.

This does not prevent our using reproof and rebuke when they are needed. Even under the Law, the command was given, You shall not hate your brother in your heart: you shall in any wise rebuke your neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him, as if it were a kind of hatred to avoid the duty of kindly and gentle rebuke.

That is a very different thing from exposing the faults of others, and aggravating and exaggerating the faults of others, as, alas, so many do! Oh, how much misery might be saved in the world if the scandal-market were not so brisk! Perhaps tongues would not move so fast if eyes were used to a better purpose.