Sunday Meditation: The Sermon on the Plain, Part Three

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.