Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.”
POINTERS FOR PRAYER
1. Can you remember an occasion when you were giving out about the behaviour of another person, and later realised you had some of the same fault yourself ? Was that a wake-up call for you? Jesus tells us it is more constructive to correct our own faults, than complain about the faults of others.
2. If we want to help other people we need to have our feet on the ground, with a realistic awareness of our gifts and our limitations. Otherwise we will be impractical, like the blind leading the blind. What has helped you to be realistic about what you can and cannot do?
3. “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit.” This parable invites us to examine the motivation behind what we do. If our basic motivation is love, then our lives will bear good fruit. If love is absent from our lives then the fruits will be conflict, disharmony and abuse of people for our own selfish ends.
For many, it is seemingly possible to sleep-walk through life, to live on an entirely sentient level. Perhaps our current culture of distraction supports such superficial so-called living. Many, however, are dissatisfied and long for an awakening, a conversion, a transformation, for something more. Such a hunger of the heart is acknowledged in many religions and philosophies — Jesus’ teaching here could just as easily be on the lips of the Gautama Buddha. The difference for Christians is the grace of God in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, it is all grace, grace upon grace as the Prologue of John puts it.
Prayer: God of all our awakenings, we know that the journey inward is the journey home. Keep our hearts restless until we come to rest in you. Amen.