A homily on Luke 6:39–42 : First Remove the Log: A Call to Honest Sight ( 12-9-25)

 A homily on Luke 6:39–42 with two striking stories that remind us to begin with our own faults before guiding others. (12-9-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

Once, there was a person in a distant town who drunk every evening and his family suffered. He often shouted at home and wasted the money meant for his children’s studies. One day he saw a young man standing by the roadside smoking a cigarette. The drunkard walked up to him and said, “My son, what you are doing is very bad. Smoking will destroy your life.” The young man looked at him and thought, “Here is the man who cannot walk home straight at night because of his drinking, and he is teaching me about bad habits.”

This is what Jesus speaks of in today’s Gospel: “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye?”

 We must be very clear that our Lord is not saying that we should never correct others. But He is warning us that unless we first fight against our own sins, our correction becomes empty and even laughable. It is like a blind man trying to lead another blind man. Both will fall into the pit.

The Old Testament gives us a strong example in the life of King David. When the prophet Nathan told him a story of a rich man who took away the sheep of a poor man, David was full of anger. He condemned the rich man at once. But Nathan pointed at David and said, “You are the man” (2 Samuel 12:7).  David had been blind to his own greater sin. Only when he admitted his blindness could he receive God’s mercy.

There is another story that mirrors this truth. A man used to steal secretly from the temple. Everyone in the town whispered about it, but no one dared confront him. One morning, he saw some boys playing near the temple steps. He scolded them, “Do not behave badly here. This is a holy place.” Such is the foolishness of the one who sees the speck in another but ignores the log in his own life.

Saint Augustine once said, “God does not want our loud voices against others. He wants our humble cry against ourselves.” Saint Teresa of Avila too insisted that the first step to holiness is self-knowledge. Only when we look at ourselves honestly will our words of correction carry any weight.

Think of our family life. A father may shout at his son for being lazy, but he himself wastes time in drinking or gossip or with Mobile phone. A mother may scold her children for not praying, but she herself rarely sits in silence with God. Children may complain about their parents, but they themselves live in disobedience. The log is always bigger than the speck.

In religious and community life, this lesson is equally important. We may criticize a brother or sister for being careless in prayer, while our own devotion is weak. We may speak about another’s sharp words, while our own heart is dry and proud. Correction without self-purification is like a thief scolding others about honesty.

Saint Francis of Assisi first stripped himself of pride and sin before he preached to the world. His example shows us that self-correction is the key to guiding others with light.

So the Gospel today calls us not to close our mouths, but to open our eyes. Begin with your own faults. Let God cleanse your heart, and then your words will not wound, but will heal. Otherwise, you are like a prostitute who   speaks about faithfulness in marriage or the temple thief teaching respect for holy places.

 Lord, let me correct my own ways first. Amen.

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