Word to the Wise
Friday, September 11, 2020 - Friday in the 23th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27 and Luke 6:39-42]"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." [Luke]
When I have the right opportunity to proclaim this particular passage from the Gospel, I look around for an old piece of wood with lots of splinters in it and hand it to the nearest listener to pass around while I'm preaching! Needless to say, Jesus would have been quite familiar with splinters and beams. After all, he was the son of a carpenter! He must have had ample opportunity to literally experience a splinter in the eye!
Coming as this passage does after last weekend's scriptures on taking responsibility for one another and correcting destructive behavior, we might feel ourselves the subject of a "whiplash" motion. The simple fact is that we have to be humble enough to admit our own shortcomings as part of any effort to improve someone else's! Faults are not hard to find, especially if they are someone else's faults, but Jesus challenges us to look closer to home so that we can more honestly assist someone else. Whether it is someone else or ourselves, this takes courage and humility and the kind of discernment that the Holy Spirit can provide if we are open to it. It is not easy to remove a splinter from one's own eye. We have to admit there IS one and then have the humility and courage to ask someone else to handle the tweezers! AMEN.