And he told them a parable, " Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brothers' eye, 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 eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye."
The Word in other words
Jesus loves to teach with parables. This is his human way of explaining the kingdom to his listeners- rich and poor, hypocrites and gentiles alike. Today's gospel formulates the question in another way: Can a person effectively teach if he himself does not practice it in his life? One time during my high school days, I came late for morning class and received a demerit for it. I felt the hypocrisy of my teacher who I saw coming late to our class a couple of times before. During our vacant time, I confronted him for what he did but sad to say he acted even more like a hypocrite by telling me- "Follow what I say; do not follow what I do."
The message of Jesus is very clear. He is stating a heavenly principle about how we should treat others. The Lord knows our faults. He sees all, even the imperfections and sins of our heart which we ourselves fail to recognize. Like a gentle father and a skillful doctor, the Lord patiently draws us to his seat of mercy and removes the cancer of hypocrisy which inhabits our hearts. Jesus asks us to cultivate a creative attitude which will enable us to encounter others without judging them, without preconceptions and rationalizations, by accepting them as our neighbors. This total openness towards others will arise in us only when we are capable of relating with God in total trust and with each other as children of his kingdom.
- Fr. Jun Pateno, SVD (New Jersey, USA
