Luke 6:41

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

For extended comment on this see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 7:3ff.

This is truly an inspired comparison. Of course, it would be literally impossible for a man with a plank in his eye to probe for the mote in his brother's eye; but in the moral and spiritual realm such a thing is going on all the time. Big Guilt always yells the loudest about the mistakes of Little Guilt! Members of a Congressional Committee to investigate a President were themselves also guilty of taking illegal contributions; but this did not prevent their going after the mote in the President's eye. True morality demands that such conduct wear the label which Jesus branded it, "hypocrisy"! (Matthew 7:5). Note also that "a mote" may be a very detrimental thing, despite the small size of it; therefore, there is nothing in Jesus' comparison to minimize any moral fault, however insignificant on the surface. A mote in the eye may be a disaster.