Friday in the 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, September 9, 2022

Luke 6, 39-42

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.”

“Can a blind person guide a blind person?”  The Lord continues his Sermon the Plain, which seems distinct from the Sermon on the Mount which St. Matthew details in his Gospel.  The similitude that opens today’s Gospel Reading is an abrupt change in subject from what St. Luke had recorded the Lord saying in the verses previous to this, which dealt with the need of believers to act generously.  St. Luke introduces this change with the following (according to the Greek text): “And he spoke also to them a parable” (Luke 6, 39).  The “also” here seems to indicate that this is taken from later in his discourse, which Luke is abridging, or as a signal to his readers that this is indeed new subject matter.  The question the Lord opens with does jar.  Just before this he was speaking about morality, and now he speaks about general prudence.  As he tends to do when presenting his teachings, he begins with a simple question or statement.  Here, it is, “Can a blind person guide a blind person?”  And simply, the answer is no.  The Lord, however, answers with another question, further leading his listeners along: “Will not both fall into a pit?”  The Lord specifies a severe consequence to a blind man following another blind man.  It is not that both will become very lost and that they will trip and fall on the road: they will both “fall into a pit”.  The Lord is referring to the Pharisees here.  He seems to have regularly pointed out their blindness, as when he remonstrated, on one occasions, “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean!” (Matthew 23, 26).  He calls them “blind” because they have the truth right before them in the Law and the Prophets, and they do not see it or they willfully distort it to their own ends.  Thus, they have blinded themselves and are reprehensible for that reason.  The blind they lead into the dark pit of ignorance with them are the people who depend on them to teach them what the Law actually says.

“No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.”  While the Lord might mean that his disciples can become like him although they could never exceed him, he might also still be referring to the Pharisees: those whom they lead will become as they blind as they are, or may willfully remain blind when they might otherwise find a different teacher.

“Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?”  The “splinter” here is a chip of wood or a bit of a dry stalk that might just fly into the eye as a person walked along.  The “beam” is a rafter or girder.  The difference between the chip and the rafter is exponential.  A beam in your eye completely blocks out your sight.  A speck in your brother’s eye leaves his sight mostly unimpaired.  His eye suffers minor irritation and the speck will soon wash out.  But the beam completely blinds and cannot be removed without great trouble.  Thus, “you” do not recognize your own blindness and so cannot be sure if another person even has a splinter in his eye.  The Lord could be speaking to the Pharisees here, or to self-righteous people in the crowd, for self-righteousness blinds.  “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?  The Lord does not just make the point and proceed to the next one, but waxes vehement, drilling the point home.  “You hypocrite!”  The Greek word with which Luke translates the Aramaic or Hebrew word the Lord actually used was chosen by the scholars who produced the Greek Septuagint translation of the  Scriptures for “the godless”.  The Lord, then, says to these, You godless people!, a very stinging rebuke, for self-righteousness also kills.”Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”  The Lord offers hope that a person can remove the beam of self-righteousness from himself, but this will not be easy.  It means, first of all, recognizing the blindness for what it is, hating it, praying for the “sight” of humility, and then engaging in recovery by making a deliberate effort to see the people and situations and ourselves in the light of truth.  If the person successfully acquires humility and learns to live humbly, then he can be in a position to assist others with their slight errors of perception.

The Lord Jesus was persuasive in his teaching through its wisdom, but also through his own humility.  He did not surround himself with wealthy disciples in high positions or dress and eat richly.  He put on no airs.  He sought no attention for himself but only love for the Father.  His clothes were worn, he had no money of his own, and his Apostles looked as bedraggled as he did.  But when he opened his mouth to speak, the crowds gathered quickly, for the people knew he would tell them the truth about God.