8th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C
The church continues to prepare us for the Lenten season. With the reading last Sunday, about the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And this week about “removing the plank from our own eyes before removing the splinter from our neighbor’s. We are reminded that life is messy. All of us at some time in our lives are blind. But the blindness Jesus is talking about in the gospel is figurative rather than literal, and that only sharpens his message, as the blind he is referring to are “in denial” and do not realize their blindness.
The worst kind of blindness, which is almost incurable, is the judgmental spirit. Moreover, judgmental people tend to mix only with their own kind, reinforcing each other’s prejudices, hence Jesus’ warning in the gospel that both will end up in the pit. Jesus was particularly scathing about judgmental spirit because it elevates admittedly good concepts like rules, principles, standards – even religion—above the actual plight of human beings. Those in the biggest danger of the trip to the pit are those people who are constantly trying to fix others’ faults, trying to remedy others’ blindness, when they themselves cannot see clearly.
Trying to take a speck from someone else’s eye is not appropriate or feasible until the log is removed from our own. People should not be criticizing others for faults they have themselves. People should not be criticizing others unless they have walked in their shoes.
When we are in denial we cannot see clearly, we are blinded by what is keeping us in denial. So, we may ask ourselves: “how do I move from darkness into the light of truth?”
Matthew Kelly, in his book, Life is Messy, gives us a list of emotions or behaviors that draw us into the darkness: worry, fear, procrastination, self-destructive behavior, ruminating on the past, obsessing about the future, negative self-talk and toxic people. But he follows it with a list of practices that lead us back into the light: Prayer, reflection, meditation, reading, work, long walks, authentic love of self, acceptance of others, being loved and accepted by others, friends who want what is best for us regardless of what it costs them and, being that kind of friend to others.
Sisters and brothers, we live in a cynical world where all the voices around us tell us to look out for #1, do not trust this one or that one. We can be blinded so easily by the denial that we are doing what we need to do. But then we go around judging others, finding fault with others, when we have not taken the time to pull the plank out of our own eyes. When we find ourselves there, just walk toward the light – Jesus Christ, and he will show us the way.
Jesus says: “the disciple is not greater than the teacher, but with a good teacher, a student can be just as good.” The good tree bears good fruit. The rotten tree does not. The fruit of the tree shows what care it has had.
As we move closer to our Lenten journey, let our prayer be this: that we may have the courage to walk toward the light, so that our own blindness may be cured. Then, God in his infinite goodness will be able to use us to help others.
God bless us, and all who live in simplicity of heart.