First Reading: Sirach 27: 4-7
Psalm 92: 2-3,13-16
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 54-58
Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
The first reading today tells us that “A man’s speech discloses the bent of his mind.” Our words reveal the true nature of our hearts and minds. Just as a sieve separates the good grain from the refuse, words separate the true nature of a man from mere appearances. What you say reveals what is in your heart. It compares our words to the fruits of a tree. A tree’s fruit reflects its health and cultivation. If our minds are cultivated with wisdom, kindness and understanding, we will naturally bear good fruit.
In the gospel Jesus brings this discourse into the context of discipleship. It is impossible to bring light to others if you are without light yourself. “Can a blind person guide a blind person?” A disciple’s light does not come from himself, but from the teachings of Christ which he has obediently accepted and followed. That is why He says, “No disciple is superior to the teacher.” It is only to the extent in which we accept, assimilate and express the teachings and examples of Christ in our lives, can we be beacons of light for our brothers and sisters and draw them to Christ. This calls for a continuous effort to become ever more like Christ, and forming ourselves so that we do not fall into the absurd situation Our Lord denounced: “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?”
Removing the splinter in the eyes of another requires you to make judgments. Earlier, Jesus said, “Do not judge and you will not be judged” (Luke 6: 37). Sometimes it is not easy to reconcile or distinguish “not judging” and approving everything everyone does as okay. Even parents often find themselves in this difficulty. Being good parents is not just about providing shelter, food and clothing. It is also about teaching our children standards of right and wrong, and correcting them when they err. Parents have a grave obligation to judge the behavior of their children and ward as good or bad and then apportion praise or blame accordingly. If you are in a relationship with somebody you want to marry, you must judge whether or not he or she is honest, responsible, selfish, caring and godly. There are countless instances you cannot avoid making judgments about others.
Do we really have to be perfect before doing fraternal correction? Hardly, because none of us is perfect. Otherwise, we might as well let everyone do whatever they want. That will be chaotic. So, what is Jesus really hitting at when He asked, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” We must strive to become examples of what we preach because if the brother you want to remove a splinter from his eye looks and finds a wooden beam in your own eye, you become an obstacle for him, a scandal. In our obligation to correct the erring, and to be light to others, if we fail to be good examples of what we preach, we become ineffective and a stumbling block.
A disciple cannot exact from others what he does not do himself or presume to correct in his neighbor what he tolerates in himself, perhaps in a more serious form. That is hypocrisy. To fight evil in others and not fight it in our own heart is at the core of hypocrisy. The criterion for recognizing the authentic disciple from the hypocrite is by their fruits. Let us cultivate and treasure goodness, in our hearts so that our words and fruits will always be good .
Happy Sunday
Fr. Chidi Onwuka, m.ss.cc.