"From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks . . ."
Luke 6: 39 - 45
The Word for Sunday: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030319.cfm
We live in an age of brief statements or “sound bites” as they
may be called. These short three or maybe
five word marketing briefs such as “Just
do it!” for the mega sports clothing provider Nike or “Have it your way,” for a
popular burger franchise or maybe words are replaced by a recognizable green
and white logo such as the well-known coffee distributor with only one word. Since we live in an age of technology and
phone texting our far more expressive speech is greatly lacking. Words are
replaced by brief letters: “LOL” and
“emogies” like a yellow smiley face. I’m convinced that most under the
age of 35 sign their name either with a mere scribble or at best simply print (Sorry, personal bias).
Well in our Gospel this Sunday taken from the end of Luke’s
“sermon on the plain” Jesus sits as a kind of wise philosopher who offers his
disciples brief but meaningful sound bites that cut to the heart: “Can a
blind person guide a blind person? . . . the splinter in your brother’s eye . .
. the beam in your own . . . a good tree does not bear rotten fruit . . . every
tree is known by its fruit . . . from the fullness of the heart the mouth
speaks . . .”
Certainly any one of them spur reflection on the moral state of
our lives and any of them might even be appropriate to print on a banner or
t-shirt. Yet, these are far more
significant as we see them in the body of Jesus moral teaching. Luke collects these sayings of Jesus likely
from various teachings he had given and places them in the context of this
sermon Jesus gave to the hungry crowds.
We should not simply see them as pretty words or thought provoking. They are meant to offer all of us a
foundation on which to stand.
What strikes me is that our Lord is expecting far more of us
than simply pithy sayings. The demands
of discipleship go beyond the surface and speak to our heart. A beam in the eye and the blind leading the
blind challenge us to resist judgment of another. Humility is paramount. Christ teaches, we learn, we follow and over
time, if we take the Gospel message seriously, we can inspire others to do the
same. Our blindness may indeed be our
sense of self-importance and through our own insecurity we constantly puff
ourselves up with an exaggerated sense of who we are or what we have supposedly
done, or who we pretend to know. Our
position, our education, our experience, as valuable as they are, may lead us
to think ourselves above others. We become blind to the real truth that our
lives, as Jesus followers, are ones of selfless love and service.
What about these trees and the bad fruit? As obvious as that statement seems, Jesus
reminds us that personal integrity is a mark of discipleship. If we want to be true to our faith then our
heart must be changed. If our heart is
good, the “fruit” we bear will be visible in the good works we do, in the
compassion and love we extend. In the good example we set for others.
One might think about our words and our actions. Jesus berated the hypocritical Pharisees of
his day who were bent on their outward show of perfection. Soon Lent will begin and on Ash Wednesday we
hear our Lord say that all they cared about was their appearance. So in the end it is not what we say that
counts as much as what we do: “A good person out of the store of goodness
in his heart produces good.” True goodness comes from the heart and not the
words. The popular saying attributed to
St. Francis of Assisi to “preach without words” is timely here.
So, this sermon of Jesus offers us a guide, a road map as such,
and is a good basis as we approach Lent this week. Are my words and my actions the same? Am I
all talk, seeking the attention of others in order to make an impression? How do others see me? How does my own family see me? Is my faith, my Catholicism only a label, a
socially acceptable position, a repetitive motion I go through to satisfy my guilt? Is all I do just show up or do I participate
for a reason – because I need to.
Do I honestly seek to conform my life to the Gospel of Christ
and make a sincere effort to do the right thing towards others who are made, as
I am, in the image of God? Is my participation
in the sacraments of the Church, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation,
really making a difference in my spiritual life or do I simply go through the
motions, merely living on the surface of things? When is the last time I thought seriously
about the state of my soul?
As priest I do an awful lot of talking and guidance of others
yet I too need to ask myself these same questions, in particular about the
example I set and how I too am in need of constant conversion. I certainly don’t have all the answers and I
too struggle at times with understanding.
Yet, Christ calls us to be consistent in the way he shows us.
Sound bites, these brief truths, are valuable for us to live
out the mystery of God’s merciful love for us.
None of us lives this way perfectly.
If we did, we would have no need of a Savior. God knows otherwise of course and offers us
his love and grace.
Grant us , O Lord, we pray,
that the course of our world
may be directed by your peaceful rule
and that your Church may rejoice,
untroubled in her devotion.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(Collect of Sunday)
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