8^th Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Be formed before forming others

Readings: Sirach 27:4-7;1 Cor. 15:54-58; Lk 6:39-45

Dear friends in Christ, two weeks ago, we started reading St. Luke’s account of the beatitudes - a series of teachings comprising blessings and woes, which Jesus taught his disciples at the foot of the mountain. The beatitudes were intended to show the disciples the way that leads to happiness and the way that leads to misery. Gradually, as we have seen from last week Sunday, Jesus extended this teaching to modes of conduct for the disciples and all of us as well.

In the gospel reading of last week, Jesus tasked his disciples to treat their enemies with love, mercy, and compassion. He also instructed them not to judge or condemn others. Then, in the gospel of today, Jesus taught his disciples more reasons why they should love their enemies, treat them with patience, mercy, and compassion, and why they are not to judge or condemn other people. Jesus did this by using three images drawn from everyday life.

The first image came with this rhetorical double-barreled question: can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? The answer to the first question is ‘No,’ a blind person cannot lead a blind person. To the second question, the answer is ‘Yes,’ because if a blind man leads a blind man, they will fall into a pit.

With these two rhetorical questions, Jesus was teaching his disciples that they would not be able to successfully lead other people out of their errors or sins or to correct people in their mistakes unless they have allowed themselves to be transformed by what they have learnt from Him and what they have seen Him do. What does this tell us, dear friends?

Here, Jesus is challenging all of us as teachers, pastors, parents, guardians, and leaders, and whatever influencing role we have in the lives of others, to first of all be motivated and influenced by His teachings before we set out to guide, to correct, and to teach others. Dear friends, if we do not allow ourselves to be influenced and transformed by Jesus and His teachings, if we are not well convinced by the type of life Jesus is calling us to live, if we do not choose Jesus as the way in our life, then telling others about the Christian life would be like the blind leading the blind.

Therefore, dear friends, we must allow our lives to be transformed by Jesus and to live a good sacramental life before we go out to correct and teach others. Furthermore, we should learn about our faith: learn what the church teaches about the sacraments and what the scripture teaches, because we cannot be good disciples of Christ unless we have learnt from Christ.

Secondly, Jesus used another beautiful illustration to teach his disciple what people often do when they judge or condemn other people. He did it with these questions: "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?” (Luke 6:41-42).

With these questions, Jesus touched the tendency inherent in all of us, that is, that tendency to notice the mistakes and wrongs of other people while turning a blind eye to greater mistakes in us; that tendency to exaggerate the evil in other people and overlook the evil in us or, perhaps, with a view of hiding our own evils. Dear friends, have you not noticed that it is easy to find fault and mistakes in others?

With this second image, Jesus warned His disciples and all of us not to be the kind of disciples who are quick to point out the faults in the lives of other people but are too slow to recognize the sins in their own lives. In a special way, Jesus invites us to be reformed and transformed before we reform others. He warned us not to be hypocrites as we set out to correct others in their mistakes. There should be no discrepancies between what we say and what we do. Thus, before talking about the sins of others, we should first of all look at ourselves in the mirror to know how we truly are.

Furthermore, Jesus used another beautiful image to teach His disciples why it is good to be transformed from within before setting out to transform others. The reason is that it is impossible for one to transmit what he doesn’t have, but it is very easy for good things to flow out of good people. He said, "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit… A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks."

With this last picture, Jesus teaches us that just as a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit, so also a good person produces good, and an evil person produces evil. In other words, if we choose to live a life rooted in Him, the outcome would be the good fruits of kindness, gentleness, peace, mercy, compassion, faith, hope, and love towards others. But when we choose to live outside the teachings of Christ, our lives will never contribute to the good of others or to the well-being of the society, because we cannot give what we do not have.

Peace be with you. May God bless you.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 8^TH SUNDAY, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: WORK FIRST ON YOURSELF

(Luke 6:39-45)

Today is the 8th Sunday in the Ordinary Time, Year C of the Church's Liturgical Calendar. It is the Sunday that ushers us into the Holy season of Lent. Wednesday is already Ash Wednesday.

The movement of the Gospel is quite interesting. It is a movement that calls much attention to be focused on the "I" more than the "Thou," thus a movement that starts with "Me" to "Thee."

As a matter of fact, Jesus addresses you as the "You" that is the first person singular, calling you as it were to handle you before the other. The invitation is for self -evaluation, self-examination, and objective personal analysis of my personality. It calls for scrutinizing and examining one's own conscience and consciousness. It calls for 'mea culpa'; having to do with beating of one's own chest in acceptance of our faults (Saying: Oui, j'ai vraiment péché), and not beating that of the other.

This work on oneself that doesn't give room for judgement is an integral activity. The Gospel specified tips to guide us in this important task:

 

SEE, CORRECT SELF BEFORE THE OTHER

Jesus started with a parable, a parable that came in a question form. A question that carries yes and no answer. He asked: Can the blind lead the blind? "He can't," may be the answer in the negative. "He can" may also be the answer in the positive. In the first place, it is not something that should be attempted since it is an unthinkable thing to do. But on the other hand, they can take the risk. But Jesus provides answer to what becomes of them. The pit will be their end.

Why are you blind to your faults and see well when it has to do with the other? You can't succeed in clearing what's faulty in the other person's life when you're carrying a lot of filth in your own life.

Seeing well also enables you to come out of yourself and be your own judge. Tell yourself what no one sees in your life, be just to yourself for once. It helps you quickly to know how fallible you are, yes that I too make and can make mistakes, that I have done this before or have nearly done this before. I am not better than the other person since anything can happen if a single mistake is made, and because of that, I should correct with love and not criticize destructively with hypocrisy.

It is a call to know that the other person who knows that he's not getting it right and accepts the truism is better than me when I don't know the harm am doing myself by deceiving myself, hiding my fault and pronouncing the others. When I see well, I will stop condemning the other because he's not in the same political party with me, when am ready to excuse away my friend of same party who did the exact thing or even more grievous.

When I see well, I will understand the statement: "If any of you have no sin, let him be first to throw stone." Let's not be first in throwing judgmental stones but first work on ourselves and show love.

 

BLEND THE WORDS WITH WORKS

Jesus says that a disciple is not greater than the master. The above could be explained in different ways, but I chose to talk about it from the perspective that a disciple cannot know more than what his master shows in deeds. This should be a warning against 'soro okwu onum esola omume m.' If you claim to be a master in virtues, then know that you're followed, and your followers have more eyes than ears.  Your deeds speak more volume than any other thing. Action speaks louder than voice.

 

EVERY WORK BEAR FRUITS

By its fruits, a tree is known. Having worked on oneself, the result is sound heart. From the sound heart, therefore, flows good and edifying words. One can, at this point, lead. Lead people out of darkness into light, out of sin into holiness, out of ignorance into knowledge.

What a wonderful thing! It started with the eyes(blind) and ended with the heart. Never judge with human eyes. Look within and correct with divine love, the love that flows from the sound heart.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

We thank You, Lord God, for Your word, which is the light for our paths.  Give us the grace to work on ourselves and help us not judge others rashly.

Bless us with a sound heart that we may produce good fruits in all our endeavours through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Sunday

(8th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh