Eighth Sunday Gospel C

Jesus told his disciples a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?

          This teaching of Jesus is in the larger context of what it means to be a disciple of his. A disciple is to see things in the light of Jesus, who is the light of the world. To see things outside of him is to be blinded to the truth he has revealed. How then can such a person guide another, if the truth revealed by Jesus is not followed.

No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.

          As teacher, Jesus sets the standards for the disciple to follow. Thus, as disciple, what is taught and lived is what Jesus has revealed to us. Until we are fully trained under the discipline of Jesus in the way of love and service, we will not be ready to teach or lead others to Jesus.

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.

Jesus here focuses on one teaching. “Do not judge and you will not be judged.” It is easy for us in our human condition to identify the faults of others and neglect to see and deal with our own failings.

There is a difference in judging another and in giving fraternal correction out of love. Jesus corrected the disciples when they were ambitious and vying for places of honor. He did it in love, not judging them but calling them into a higher way of living.

Jesus is calling his disciples to a deeper conversion of their hearts, so that in recognizing the mercy of God to them through forgiveness, that same mercy can be extended to others who are likewise struggling.

“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 thornbushes, 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.”

If the fruit of our life as a disciple of Jesus is love, then how we deal with others will reflect that to others. But if the fruit of our life is that of the world, then it will impact others negatively, not drawing them to Jesus.

Deeds and actions flow easily from the goodness within or from the evil within. What Jesus is asking of his disciples, is to begin watching how much of Jesus is in them and how their gestures reveal him to others.