If these scripture readings seem new and unfamiliar, that is because they are rarely heard. The last time was back in 2001. Too often by now we are in the midst of Lent, but since Easter is late this year, we are blessed with the opportunity to ponder its practical and important message.
We just heard some challenging words from Jesus and Sirach about being judgmental, superior, and hypocritical. Lest you think of yourself as innocent of any of these traits, Sirach offered us some pertinent insights about speech, which reminded me of the times I have regretted what I have said, wishing instead that I had kept quiet. Perhaps you have felt that way too.
Traditionally, we think of Jesus as a carpenter or the good shepherd but in this instance, he comes across as a wise sage who knows human nature quite well. The life lessons he teaches in his sermon on the plain are akin to homespun wisdom rooted in daily life and experience.
His parable is filled with aphorisms. An aphorism is a tersely phrased statement of the truth. In the first one, Jesus asks, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” He then cautions that people cannot teach until they have learned. This is true in every aspect of life, but particularly in the Church. In the Catholic Church we are blessed with a teaching authority that is learned. This authority is often given the Latin word for teacher and called the magisterium.
The magisterium consists of the Pope, the Bishops, theologians and consultants. The duty of the magisterium is to set the course for us to relate our faith and morals to the evolving times. We take this for granted because most of us have always been Catholic and have always had the body of our faith presented to us in a rather neat package. But dogmatic statements and Church teachings didn’t just happen. They evolved over many centuries as the Church continues to grow in its understanding of itself. Likewise, we need to keep growing in the knowledge of our faith.
When we have times of doubt, or times that we have difficulty understanding what we believe or why we believe, we have to go to books and knowledgeable people in the area. We also have to go to our knees and pray to the Holy Spirit to help us grow in faith. The blind cannot lead the blind. That is why we have been gifted with the Holy Spirit. That is why we have the magisterium.
The second aphorism is, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye when you miss the plank in your own?” How often have we experienced the nitpicking nag who quickly points out the faults of others while conveniently overlooking his or her own? Psychologists might explain the second aphorism in this way: we tend to transfer our irritation over our own shortcomings to others. Thus we criticize another person’s faults as a way of hiding our own. The Lord was quite serious when he said, “You hypocrite! First deal with your own faults.” When we go through those negative days when everything other people do irritates us, we should take a step back and consider what we are doing that upsets others, and, even more, what we are doing that upsets us.
The concluding bit of wisdom is also based on lived experience. “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit.” Can you expect to find figs on thorny bushes or grapes on prickly bushes? Of course not. The point of Jesus’ final aphorism is that just as each tree is known by its fruit, we are known by what we do and say. Simply put, good people do not do bad deeds.
We know that actions speak louder than words. When a person does good things, we know this is a good person. When a person is continually stirring up trouble, we know that this person is troubled. The fruit reveals the person. In the same way, it is not enough for us to say we are saved and then live as pagans. In fact, it is not enough to say we are saved. What we need to say is that we are in the process of being saved.
Our actions ought to reflect God’s gift to us. If they don’t, then we are in fact rejecting his offer of salvation. Yes, we always depend upon the mercy of God, but we have to respond to this mercy by doing our best to live the Christian life. If we don’t, than our actions will demonstrate the insincerity of our conversion.
Jesus used figurative language of splinters and wooden beams, figs and grapes, thornbushes and brambles to tell us that true disciples must practice what they preach; they must give evidence of their discipleship. Each person, Jesus concludes, speaks from the heart’s abundance. It is not enough for us to believe that God loves us or that Jesus died on the cross to save us. With these images, Jesus is asking, “Does your behavior reflect God’s love?”
In a few days we begin our Lenten journey. I need this Lent and I suspect you do too. Ashes will be placed on our foreheads, with the advice, “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Lent is a good time to grow in our faith life, and to let the magisterium and Holy Spirit guide us. Lent is a time for us to look into ourselves, to ponder our efforts at living the Christian life and to evaluate if indeed our actions and words demonstrate whom we claim to be.