Sirach 27:4-7; 1 Corinthians
15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45
Theme: A Blind Person, Wooden Beam,
and Rotten Tree
A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 6:39-45
- Historical
and Literary Contexts
Our
Gospel passage is part of the Sermon on the Plain’s section (Luke 6:20-49). The
context of this Sermon is that Jesus prepares his newly chosen apostles and all
followers to know what it takes to be his faithful disciples. The whole section
is divided into five exhortations. The first exhortation is the Beatitudes (vv.
20-26). Here, Jesus taught them that sufferings are inherent to discipleship.
They should not give up their faith and mission regardless of the present real
economic and social injustice they face. Jesus called “blessed” those who keep
their faith amid suffering and “woeful” those who give up their faith and
mission because of the “fake” joy and happiness of this world. In the second
exhortation (vv. 27-36), Jesus taught his newly chosen apostles to be faithful
disciples and merciful to their persecutors. This means they should love their
enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them. The third exhortation
(vv. 37-42) calls Jesus’ disciples not to judge others. The fourth exhortation
(vv. 43-45) is a collection of short parables through which Jesus calls his
disciples to produce only good fruits. Today’s Gospel passage comes from the
third and fourth exhortations. It is followed by the fifth exhortation (vv.
46-49), in which, through the parable of the Two Foundations, Jesus called his
disciples to observe what he had commanded them.
Our
Gospel text is a teaching with parables and images. It can be structured into
two exhortations. The first exhortation is about not judging others (vv.
39-42), and the second is about good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (vv.
43-45).
- Detailed
Analysis
Vv.
39-42. “A blind person” stands for all people who do not know about the
kingdom of heaven. So, the first “blind person” represents Jesus’
disciples, and the second refers to the people his disciples are called to
minister to. “A pit” could mean hell. Disciples who are not well-trained
about the kingdom of heaven will mislead other people to hell instead of
leading them to heaven. No disciple is superior to the teacher: Jesus is
the teacher. But when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher:
This clause alludes to the time after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and
ascension when every disciple, filled with the Holy Spirit, will carry out
Jesus’ mission. “Will be like his teacher” means the disciples will be the
“other Jesus” on their mission. “The splinter” represents someone else’s
minor fault or sin, and “the wooden beam” is one’s more significant
fault or sin. Hypocrite: This designation is given to Jesus’ followers
who are concerned with other people's faults or sins but ignore their own more
serious offenses. Before they correct others, they must first correct
themselves.
Vv.
43-45. “A good tree” represents well-trained and faithful disciples,
while a “rotten tree” represents false disciples. “Rotten and good
fruits” are the results the disciples produce on their mission,
depending on whether they are “good or evil persons.”
- Synthesis
In our Gospel passage, Jesus exhorts his Twelve apostles and all followers regarding their commitment to the mission for which he calls them. They, who will minister to the people, must not be ignorant (“blind persons”) of the kingdom of heaven lest they mislead them, and consequently, all of them will “fall into a pit,” which is hell. Instead, they should let themselves be taught and trained by Jesus, their “teacher,” so that later they become “like their teacher,” meaning the “other Jesus,” on their mission. As part of the training, Jesus’ disciples should first perceive and remove the “wooden beam in their own eyes” before they “notice and try to remove the splinter in someone else’s eye.” This means they should first work on their own sins and seek repentance before they invite other people to repent. When they do that, they will be like a “good tree” that bears “good fruit,” a “good person” who produces “good.” When they fail to do that, they will be like a “rotten tree” that bears “a rotten fruit,” an evil person” who produces “evil.”
B. Pastoral Implications
1. Liturgical
Context
As
we approach Ash Wednesday, the gateway to the Lenten Season, this Sunday's Mass
temporarily suspends Ordinary Time. We will resume it after the Solemnity of
Pentecost, which marks the end of the Easter Season. Today’s Scriptures
readings remind us that we are somehow leaders of others. So, as leaders, we
should not judge others but work on our repentance first (Gospel), control what
we speak (first reading), and be firm, steadfast, and always fully devoted to
the work of the Lord (second reading).
2. What
the Church Teaches Us Today
Jesus
commences our Gospel by exhorting his disciples and us regarding our commitment
to the mission for which he calls us. He tells us a parable that says a blind
person cannot lead another blind person lest both will fall into a pit (v. 39).
Jesus alludes to spiritual blindness, which is ignorance of what the kingdom of
heaven means. A “pit” stands for hell. As Baptized Christians, we are called to
minister to others and lead them to the heavenly kingdom. Therefore, we should
not be ignorant of the kingdom of heaven we preach. We are called first to
learn what the kingdom of heaven means and accept it before we invite others.
Good teaching is not only through words but also through good examples.
Parents, priests, catechists, and teachers are called to observe the virtues
they teach others. We need to let ourselves be taught and trained by Jesus, our
“teacher,” so that later we become “like our teacher,” meaning the “other
Jesus” on our mission. Let us live in a perfect relationship with Jesus and
allow him to lead and teach us before we minister and lead our brothers and
sisters.
The
more we strengthen our relationship with Jesus, the more we realize how sinful
we are and how much more we need God’s mercy. Peter is a good example. When he
had his personal experience with Jesus for the first time in the Sea of
Galilee, he fell at Jesus’ feet and confessed that he was sinful (see my homily
of the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.) This is the meaning of
Jesus’ parable about seeing the splinter in someone else’s eye without
perceiving the wooden beam in our own (vv. 41-42). Notice the contrasts in this
parable. First, the wooden beam (the bigger one) is in our eyes, and the
splinter (the small one) is in other people’s eyes, not the opposite. Second,
we should start to perceive and remove our “wooden beam” before we notice and
try to remove the splinter in other people’s eyes. Jesus challenges us to work
on our own wrongdoings before we call our brothers and sisters to repentance.
The wooden beam that prevents our spiritual eyes from seeing well is the lack
of personal relationship with God. We cannot notice the “wooden beam” in our
eyes if we do not come close to Jesus through the sacraments, especially the
Eucharist and Confession, which remove all our sins, reconcile us with God, and
strengthen our relationship with him.
When
we can perceive all the “wooden beams” in our eyes and remove them through the
sacrament of Confession, we are then compared to a “good tree,” which bears
good fruit; but when we fail to do so, we are like a “bad tree,” which bears
rotten fruit (vv. 43-45). The author of our first reading says, “The fruit of a
tree shows the care it has had; so, speech discloses the bent of a
person’s heart.” (Sirach 27:6). Here, the sacred author teaches us that one’s
speech reveals the inner person. A person is assessed based on his or her
speech. The words show the character of a person. As Jesus says, “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.” (Luke 6:45). We can produce “good fruits”
only if we come close to Jesus through the sacraments. We can be Jesus’
disciples who lead others to the kingdom of heaven only if we let Jesus lead
and teach us. Let us always be firm, steadfast, and fully devoted to the work
of the Lord, as Saint Paul exhorts us in our second reading.
May
this Mass enable us to notice our sins and decide to repent. Thus, we will
become capable of leading our brothers and sisters to the kingdom of heaven and
bearing good fruit wherever we live. Amen.
Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD
Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church
in Jackson, MS &
SVD USS Biblical Apostolate
Coordinator
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