When the Blind is leading the Blind.Friday 23rd Week

Breakfast with the Word Friday 23rd Week Ordinary Time of the Year B

 

 Luke 6: 39-42.

 

 

 

 

There is a story of two blind men who wanted to cross a busy road. As they were deliberating on how to cross the road, another blind man overheard them as he was coming by. Now thinking that the two were not blind, asked them if they were crossing the road. They shouted in affirmation and the third blind man said “okay let us go”.

 

 

 

The other two thought that the third man was not blind while the third man thought that the two were not blind, and together, holding their arms, they rushed into the busy road.

 

 

 

Then there was a quagmire. All moving cars stopped, onlookers began to shout and the three blind men became surprised at the shouting from the people. They became confused about which way to follow. Imagine such an experience.

 

 

 

The two other blind men began to question the third man, “does it mean you do not see that the road is busy, are you blind or what? The third man replied to them “this is what actually what I have to ask both of you, are you people blind? Then there was confusion everywhere. Then the first man now said “ can you imagine, the blind is leading the blind, we are in trouble (onye Ishi na edu onye Ishi, anyi atola).

 

 

 

 

This is what happens when the blind is leading the blind. When the blind is leading the blind, there is always confusion, trouble and not knowing whether to go right or left.

 

 

 

It happens when we jump the training to become masters. The blind leading the blind is like one who sees a car and jumps into it to drive when he is unaware of the functions of the components of the car. This is the situation when we are not deep-rooted in the faith because someone who is not deep-rooted, spiritual and not knowledgeable is our leader.

 

 

 

 

When someone who is not deep-rooted in the faith tries to be a leader, there is always a problem and confusion along the way, many souls are led astray, biblical truths are turned upside down.

 

 

 

Today, Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who are not yet open to the truth and secrets of the kingdom and at the same time teachers of the law.

 

 

Sometimes they misinterpret the scriptures and force people to obey them. Jesus calls them blind guides because they are spiritually blind. They have refused to act on the spirit of the law, focusing more on the letters. They are not open to the teachings of the Kingdom and yet teachers of the faith. Hence, they create problems and burdens for the people.

 

 

 

So in today’s gospel, Jesus asks them “‘Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit.

 

 

Therefore, when the blind is leading the blind, instead of leading them to God and making them more spiritual, He leads them astray and makes their faith shallow. He leads them to more confusion rather than a true knowledge of the word.

 

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Do this Before You Do Anything in Life

 

 

 

Do Not Be Afraid of Doing Good

 

 

Jesus Does All Things Well.23rd Sunday Ordinary Time

 

Jesus As the Lord of the Sabbath

 

 

 

 The Disciple is not above his Master.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus says to the Pharisees “The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher”.

 

 

 

In the time of Jesus, this saying was already a proverb, and Jesus frequently uses it (Matthew 10:24-25; John 13:12-16; John 15:20).

 

 

 

 

Here, Jesus is the master while the Pharisees and others need to learn from the master to be like him. Therefore, only a fully trained disciple of Jesus can be like Him.

 

 

 

 

A disciple is someone, who is still in the training and not yet to the finished point. He is groomed day by day.

 

 

 

 

He is always on daily learning and discipline and as such should not count himself more than the master until he is perfected. When the disciple has learned much he needed to learn, he can then be like the master.

 

 

 

 

The implication is that before one becomes a master, he has to undergo rigorous training and discipline.

 

 

 

So, this is what Pharisees need to do. They need to learn more from Jesus and not trying to be superior to Jesus.

 

 

 

So, we have to allow God to mould us in His perfect manner and way. Before we become leaders of the people both in political and religious settings, we need to learn what it truly entails to be a leader and know the deeper truths in the bible.

 

 

 

 

One cannot just wake up and pick up the bible, cram the quotations, and begins to blow out of point.

 

 

 

To understand the bible, you have to get into the mind of the author, the settings, and the community in which he writes. Then know what He is trying to communicate and the implications of that in our present time.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes you have to get into the original language of the time to pull out the meaning. Not everything in the bible is understood literally, this is why we need rigorous training to do this.

 

 

 

 

 

One can not give what he does not have, what we have is what we can give. This is why it is good to learn first before we do something. Those who jump the training and the discipline to be a master will always, like the blind men, lead people to confusion. The followers then become vulnerable, believing only in the God of a miracle. When the miracle does not come again, they think that God is not working.

 

 

 

 

 

When the blind is leading the blind, they end up with miracle-spirituality. To be spiritual and a true child of God goes beyond worshipping God only for the miracle. We worship God for who He is and not just for what He does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Log and the Splinter.

 

 

 

 

Because of this, Jesus says to them “how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me take out that splinter in your eye,” when you cannot see the great log n your own?”

 

 

 

 

A splinter is only a fragment of wood or small pieces of wood but a log is like a stump, a part of the trunk, or a large branch of a tree.

 

 

 

 

The log is bigger than the splinter or speck. While Jesus is referring to the Pharisees, He says that they pay more attention to the little problems in other people’s lives, forgetting to remove the bigger problem in their lives. First of all, they have to remove the log in their own eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

This infers that first of all, the Pharisees need to work on themselves before they work on the people.

 

 

 

In essence, we have to work and remove the bigger log in our eyes, we have to work on ourselves first to be able to effectively evangelize and touch souls.

 

 

 

 

Secondly, it is not always good to criticize and maim others while we also have problems bigger than them. It is not always good to be the first to condemn others when we have our problems facing us every day.

 

 

 

Paul says that “For whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself because you who pass judgment do the same things”. (Romans 2:1). Before we condemn the other person, think of your weaknesses. When we understand this, we then correct and teach rather than condemn and maim the other person.

 

 

 

 

When the Jews wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery in John 8, Jesus asked them “let he who has no sin be the first to cast stones. (John 8:7). When a brother misbehaves, do not condemn yet but correct and admonish him as a brother (2 Thessalonians 3:15).

 

 

 

 

True guides are motivated by love, mercy and forgiveness. Wherever you are, you are a guide in one way or the other. Always correct and do not be the blind one. To be an effective leader, there is always the need for continuous learning, reading and acquiring more knowledge. There is the need to be more close to God.

 

 

 

The life of a leader influences His followers in one way or the other. If the leader is spiritually blind, you will see the fruit in the people he leads. If the leader is not deep-rooted in faith, he will always lead the people to confusion.

 

 

 

So, when the blind is leading the blind, the results are always crisis, confusion, and shallow spirituality. We need to be closer to Jesus. The grace we receive through this relationship will also affect the people who come in contact with us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May God bless you dearest and give us the grace to live for Him and Him amen.