Can the blind lead the blind?

And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

- Luke 6:39-49

Yesterday, we continued with Jesus' Sermon on the Plain. After preaching the Beatitudes and Woes, Jesus went on to teach about the practice of mercy. He taught, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." To behave with mercy is to be like the Most High, for God "is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." To act with mercy, as we would have others act to us, in forgiveness, is what is desirable in disciples -- and will be returned to us. "For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." My study bible says, "Spoken to the disciples, these words are an exhortation to discernment and imitation of Christ in their training for the apostolic ministry." He is interested in disciples who will follow in His footsteps, and take care to understand Him and His words to us, so that they, too, can be good teachers. Discernment is the art of leaving judgment up to God, and seeking God's perspective in all things.

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye." Again, repeating the same theme, Jesus asks, if we are not trained well -- if we do not remove our own flaws -- then how on earth can we hope to enlighten or help others? We look to our own faults first, this is our job as disciples. Again, as in the teachings on mercy, it is a unilateral action. We don't do this with respect to merely responding to others or to an external necessity, or in expectation of receipt of something from someone else; it is a part of our own choice in relation to God, as disciples.

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." We also understand and remember Jesus' teachings on hypocrisy, and His frequent condemnation of hypocrites. Here He is teaching the power of looking to ourselves and our own actions first -- of making sure we bear good fruit by doing our best to remove from ourselves that which is "unproductive." What is the good treasure of your heart? What is the abundance of your heart? Jesus returns again and again to such teachings, and it is in this that we learn discipleship. What is in our own hearts? What can we cast away in order to bear better fruit? What do we treasure so that we may be bearers -- as disciples -- of good fruit?

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." Do we merely listen to the words, as disciples, or do we take them to heart? Do we do as He says? Worship alone in outward form ("why do you call me 'Lord, Lord'") is not enough. It must be followed through with commitment to the things He teaches, by choices to follow what He teaches. Otherwise the foundation of our faith is non-existent and we have a shallow illusion of substance upon which to build our lives. What we wish to be returned to us -- through the relationship with God -- must be based on the solid ground of faithful following through. My study bible says, "Spiritual foundations are made secure with both faithful hearing and faithful doing of the words of Christ."

I think it's important to understand that discernment comes with faith as Christ asks us to practice our faith. All things go into God's hands: judgment, forgiveness, the handling of our problems. The God of love and mercy has to be the great mediator of what we choose and how we choose. Therefore it is all up to us: what do we keep in our hearts, what do we give up to God for that discernment in our lives? How do we practice mercy, and give up the things that don't help us to "bear good fruit?" Life can be hard and experience bitter, but we do have a Comforter to help us deal with such experiences in His Way -- the way He asks here. Can we be good disciples? Can we be that which He asks us to be, to bear good fruit? We cut away the dead branches, and keep that which is alive in His word, the good treasure of the heart of mercy. Not an easy job, but we have help -- and with God, all things are possible. This is the true foundation on which we rest.