REFLECTIONS TODAY
Jesus teaches his disciples to stop judging and condemning (Lk 6:37). This should not be taken to mean that Jesus is doing away with courts of the Law or even with judging in the sense of evaluating people. What Jesus points to is condemnatory judgment, especially in interpersonal relationships. This is because the judging person is in no position to judge: either he is as guilty as, or even more guilty than, the one he judges.
The irony is presented by the figure of “splinter” and “wooden beam.” The contrast in size is made to point out the folly of condemning one’s neighbor for minor infractions on the law while being complacent about one’s graver faults.
Religious hypocrites who want to project an image of being more pious than others can be found not only among scribes and Pharisees, but also among Christian disciples. Following Jesus, Paul tells the Christians not to pass judgment on their neighbors (Rom 2:1; 14:4). Indeed, only God, who truly knows the human heart, can pass judgment.
Let us pray to the Lord to help us take out the wooden beam from our own eye, to be aware of our own prejudices, and to be compassionate towards ourselves and towards those whose opinions and behavior we find difficult to accept.
Gospel • Luke 6:39-42
Jesus told his disciples 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 brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own 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.”
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” St. Pauls, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.