We have listened to Jesus’s Sermon on the
Plain for two weeks now. We have one
more week of the Sermon, and this week Jesus provides some of the most vivid
imagery of the nature of sin: two blind people falling into a pit, pointing to
a splinter in other’s eyes while one has a beam of wood in one’s own eye, the
tree that bears fruit, and what gets pronounced from the mouth what is in store
in the heart. In a few days we will
begin Lent where we are to repent of our sins.
This Sunday, Jesus identifies the sin within all of us.
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.”
~Lk 6:39-45
First Fr. Geoffrey
Plant explains the sermon. He narrows
the themes to three: recovery of sight, hypocrisy, and the bearing of good
fruit.
I thought the insight of Christ leading the blind as a metaphor for leading those that have sinned as pretty profound. I had not thought of that. And this projects to disciples such as us leading others who have not been so blessed. Or, from a different perspective, being led by those who have great holiness. We need to be led as much as leading others.
Next Fr. Cajetan
Cuddy draws the theological significance out of the passage. Pay close
attention of trying to save yourself by pointing out the sins in others.
The bad tree is transformed into the Good Tree which is the cross!
I’m going to provide
a third reflection, and this is the most pastoral. It comes from Dr. Brant Pitre.
What you store in
your heart is what will be produced by your mouth!
Sunday Meditation: “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.”
Are you a good tree? The Hillbilly Thomas have a song, “Good Tree.”
The Hillbilly Thomists are a groups of
Dominican Friars who came together to form a musical group, first to pass the
time but then got so good they started writing and recording their own songs
and have now put out four albums I think.
If you are not familiar with the Hillbilly Thomists, you need to look
their music up. I am a big fan.
