Plank (Sty) in the Eye

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:1-5

Ever have a sty?  I have at least one or two each year.  They are usually harmless but are extremely annoying.  A sty is an inflamed oil gland where the lash meets the lid.  As the sty grows the eyelid becomes swollen and red and is great for causing headaches.  You look like you got in a fight and lost.  A sty can interfere with your vision.  I got one last night.  So, I have a headache and can only half see.  I’ve been applying washcloths soaked with hot water off and on all day. 

Why am I blogging (whining) about my pitiful sty?  Well, while I’m applying the washcloth every chance I get, a verse popped into my head.  You know, the one about stop complaining about a speck in your brother’s eye and worry about the plank in your eye.  Well, brothers and sisters – I definitely have a plank – it’s called a “sty!”

This passage of Scripture is when Jesus was giving the famous “Sermon on the Mount.”  On a mountain (tradition says an extinct volcano named Karne Hittim) near Capernaum, Jesus taught on several crucial topics.   

I want to focus on the third verse, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”  Speck in the original Greek is karphos (from karpo or to wither) or “a dry stalk or twig, a straw chaff.”  Compare that to the Greek word for plank, dokos or a beam.  Dokos comes from dechomai which gives the sense of holding up something.  “Look” in this text is the Greek word blepo which is to discern or perceive by senses.  Understanding the Greek, why do we discern or perceive by senses (such as sight) the withering twig in our brothers’ eye, but don’t perceive what is holding us up in our own eyes?  How can we see clearly our brothers’ sins when we can’t even see our own?

A sty might be God’s gentle nudge.  While people may do you wrong, you may have as well but don’t perceive or understand it.  We are all sinners.  Jesus instructs us to understand and deal with our own sin before we start pointing out others’ sins.  That includes talking about people’s short comings behind their back (gossip).  Jesus stresses that we must have the right attitude if we wish to point out sin.

In preparing for a training session on culture change, I ran across an acrostic for attitudes.  I like it so well that I carry it around with me at work.  I also have it posted on my wall.  I have to admit.  I fail miserably usually, but I must always pick myself up.  Hey, there’s a reason it seems that “S” is a duplicate of “I.”

A – Always make today my best day Psalm 118:24

T – Take pride in a job well done Philippians 1:27

T – Treat others with respect Ephesians 4:32

I – Isolate my negative thoughts Philippians 4:13

T – Treat tasks as opportunities Ephesians 5:15-16

U – Use my talents everyday Matthew 25:29

D – Do the job right the first time 2 Peter 2:20

E – Expect to succeed Mark 11:24

S – Speak well of others everyday Ephesians 4:29

I’ll try to blog about each related Bible passage in the future.  Keep up the good fight!



Note: This acrostic has been used by many organizations and leaders.  If you search the web, Florida Basketball Coach Billy Donovan calls this an "Attitude Plan."  From what I can tell, no one has the copyright on this acrostic.  It is not my intention to plagiarize, I will be just conducting a Bible study on each verse used.