Luke 6: 39-45

He quoted a proverb: “‘Can a blind man guide a blind man?’ Wouldn’t they both end up in the ditch? An apprentice doesn’t lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.

“It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbour’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbour.

“You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.

Gospel Reflection

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues his teaching and formation of the apostles. Today Jesus is inviting us to become aware of how quickly we may jump to judgement of another person. At times, judgement of another person comes so automatically that we may not even consciously recognise it. Jesus may simply want us to be aware of what is going on in our minds. Once we are aware, then we have a choice about what action or attitude we want to take.

It is much easier to see the splinter in another person’s eye than to recognise the splinter in my own eye. Perhaps recognising the splinter in the other person’s eye makes us feel better about ourselves. Jesus is reminding us to be mindful! Our mind often jumps to judgement before we even are consciously aware of it. However, when we become aware of the judgement we are making, we can decide to let go of the judgement — or not! Today may we strive to be more consciously aware of what is going on in our minds and hearts.