Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

March 3, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Sirach 27: 4-7

Psalm: 92

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 54-58

Gospel reading according to Luke 6: 39-45

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Homily:

When Jesus is teaching his disciples he uses parables, a day to day life stories seen in their context where the people are and familiar with, and experienced the stories.  But to the chosen Twelve Apostles, he reveals the hidden meaning of the parables.  “Jesus told his disciples a parable, ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?’” (Lk. 6: 39).  This time, Jesus is telling his disciples and the crowds about the story of two blind wo/men (persons); one blind wo//man was guiding the other blind wo/man.  If both of them were blind, as the story went on, the two blind wo/men may lose their way and might fall into a pit or deep well.  There is a reality in this story and/or parable.  Have you seen a group of blind men and women guided or led by another blind person?  I have seen group of blind men and women going to airport to give body massage to the passengers as their work, but they were led by a man who can see.  Another group of blind men and women I saw carrying their musical instruments in the same airport but they were also led by a man who too can see.  I have not seen any blind wo/man led by another blind wo/man.  In the parable, what was Jesus meant about this?  Was he talking a nonsense story, or a joke? Or was he trying to convey something to his listeners?  Yes, Jesus was teaching a reality and truth to his disciples.  How can a blind guide lead another blind person?  Jesus was not referring to a physical blindness, but he was denoting people who are not blind but cannot see the truth, to what is happening in their surroundings, stupor in the crimes, killings, corruptions, injustices, poverty, extra-judicial killings, and many kinds of marginalizing many people in the periphery.  These are things not given right, proper and much attention by those who make themselves blind and make other people blinded in the realities of the society.  

To bring to the fore or mind his parable, Jesus gives some models or examples.  First example given by Jesus to his disciples is about the teacher and his/her students.  A teacher knows very well his/her topic; s/he masters his/her subject.  S/He can transfer his/her ideas and knowledge to his/her students with ease.  S/He gives all necessary information the students need to know.  While the students are eager to know what their teacher is trying to convey to them.  At first, the students do not know what their teacher is talking about.  Then they needed to comprehend and study the lecture given to them by their teacher.  If not, they cannot follow or understand what their teacher is saying to them.  Therefore, the teacher knows very well what s/he is teaching about to his/her students; s/he can transfer knowledge to his/her students, while the students are dependent on their teacher to learn their lessons.  So also, Jesus is telling his disciples that He is greatest teacher than the rest of the scribes and Pharisees for he knows very well what he is talking about, especially about God, heaven, Reign-Kingdom of God, etc., for he came from there, as compare to the scribes and Pharisees who just learn from other rabbis or teachers of the Law of Moses, without any experiencing about what they are saying or teaching to the Jewish people. The disciples are not greater than their master/teacher.  “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher” (Lk. 6: 40).  The students cannot claim that they are more knowledgeable than their teacher.  Even when they finished their training or courses, they cannot claim as above to their teacher.  They are receivers of knowledge from their teacher, although they might become like their teacher.  The disciple with or without knowledge is like a blind person in the parable if he is teaching or leading other disciples to nowhere.

Another example to explain the parable given by Jesus Christ to his disciples is about the particle of dust in the eyes of a brother who has seen by another brother who has wooden beam, big as log, in his/her eyes. “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eyes, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the splinter in your eyes,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eyes first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eyes” (Lk. 6: 41-42).  Jesus is saying, one can see the venial sins of the other but s/he cannot see his/her mortal (big and grave) sins.  S/He can pinpoint the sins of others but s/he cannot recognize how big as wooden beam his/her sins.  Jesus is also saying, we have to remove (confess) our sins before we can tell and pin point the sins of others, so that s/he too can acknowledge his/her sins and remote (confess) his/her splinter in the eyes.  A disciple who is blinded by his//her great sins cannot see and remove properly the small as dust sins of the others.

Jesus also gives another example, the trees as models of blindness.  He describes two kinds of trees.  One is good tree that bears good fruit, and another tree, a bad tree, that bears bad fruit.  He makes a contrast between these two trees.  “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear a good fruit” (Lk. 6: 43).  He is saying that a good tree, on the one hand, cannot bear a bad fruit, but rather a good fruit; that is a parent who is a good father/mother of the family cannot yield a son or daughter who is bad, a spoil brat that is unpleasant child. On the other hand, a bad tree that is a bad parent who is bad, evil and wicked father/mother of a family cannot produce a son or daughter who is good; s/he yields rotten son/daughter.  We have a saying: Like father, like son; and like mother, like daughter. “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” (Lk. 6: 44). The son/daughter inherits the qualities and characters of his/her parents.  A blind disciple is like a rotten tree that bears rotten fruit.

A disciple who has good vision and/or good eye sights can see clearly the truth and the reality of his/her neighborhood.  S/He knows what is going on in his/her environs, in his/her society where s/he lives.  A good and just person has a good and loving heart for in it stores goodness that produces good works and words.  He cannot deny other people’s plea and cry for help.  S/He makes good things to those who are in need.  “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: 45). He is not blinded by doing sin and not making others commit sins. Jesus is teaching his disciples where to put themselves clearly and rightly in terms of their relationships to one another, and not to be blinded by their false beliefs and accusations, giving fake news, creating lawlessness in society, leading others to sin, but rather in sharing the goodness store in the heart that produces good.