“He spoke a parable to them. Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye. For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.” — Luke 6:39-45, World English Bible
Jesus warns against spiritual blindness — those who are not grounded in truth cannot lead others without both falling into trouble. As disciples, we must learn humility and wisdom before guiding others. He also condemns hypocrisy, urging people to first correct their own faults before judging others. True character is revealed by one’s actions, just as a tree is known by its fruit. A good heart produces good words and deeds, while an evil heart brings forth corruption. What a person speaks and does is a reflection of what fills their heart.
Before criticizing others, we must examine ourselves, ensuring we are living rightly before God. Hypocrisy weakens our credibility and damages relationships. We should also be careful about who we follow, seeking wise and godly teachers rather than blindly trusting those who lack understanding. Most importantly, our words and actions reveal what is truly in our hearts—if we desire to produce good fruit, we must fill our hearts with God’s truth and let it shape our lives.