REFLECTION

GOSPEL

Jesus told his disciples a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.

“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

​​Luke 6:39-45

REFLECTION

I know there are lots of things blind people do very well, but I don’t want someone who is blind driving my car or giving me directions.  That would be a dangerous and futile situation.  The blind leading the blind are not going to get there. Of course, the blindness Jesus is talking about is figurative rather than literal, but that sharpens rather than blunts what he is saying, as the blind he is referring to are “in denial” and don’t realize their blindness.

The worst kind of blindness, which is almost incurable, is the judgmental spirit.  Moreover, judgmental people tend to mix only with their own kind, reinforcing each other’s prejudices, hence Jesus’ warning in the gospel that both will end up in the pit.  Jesus was particularly scathing about judgmental spirit because it elevates admittedly good concepts like rules, principles, standards – even religion—above the actual plight of human beings. Those in the biggest danger of the trip to the pit are those people who are constantly trying to fix others’ faults, trying to remedy others’ blindness, when they themselves cannot see clearly. Trying to take a speck from someone else’s eye is not appropriate or feasible until the log is removed from one’s own eye. People shouldn’t be criticizing others for faults they have themselves.

The disciple is not greater than the teacher, but with a good teacher, a student can be just as good. But a bad teacher will not be a good role model or encourage a good student. How can a student succeed with a bad model? The good tree bears good fruit. The rotten tree does not. The fruit of the tree shows what care it has had.

Let our prayer be that our own blindness be cured. Then, God might be able to use us to help others.