Today’s Gospel:  Luke 6:39-42

REFLECTION
In today’s Gospel, the Lord was looking beyond the inner circle of disciples. Many of the Pharisees were blind leaders; how could they lead other people who were similarly in the darkness of sin? No man should ever try to lead perishing souls into the kingdom of God until he himself has passed from darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel. The original meaning of the word “disciple” was “pupil” or “scholar.” The master to whom reference was made in verse 40 was the Pharisee - the disciples or pupils of the Pharisees were not above, nor greater in importance than their teachers, yet every student who desired to be perfect set his eyes on his master and hoped some day to be like him. Thus in one devastating statement the Lord revealed the utter uselessness of a system which at best could only produce graduates as blind as its own professors. Those teachers were employed to instruct students and correct errors by imparting knowledge. They were aware of the mote (a small piece of hay) which had somehow blurred the vision of their hearers, and yet at the same time they remained ignorant of the beam (a false image; a mirage!) which ruined their own sight. Christ taught the wisdom of self-examination and the necessity of being ruthless with self. The man who erected homes while his own fell into a state of disrepair was surely a strange one!

Today’s Reading:  1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-27

PRAYER
Lord, all the knowledge I can gain here on earth are as nothing if I don’t desire to learn from you.  Let me not fall into spiritual blindness.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.