Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

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 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 the 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

We have been reading through Jesus' Sermon on the Plain, in Luke's Gospel.  (We began reading the Sermon in Friday's reading.)  On Saturday, we read that Jesus 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 him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.   But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  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.  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."  Here is a plea for discipleship, for what it means to be "perfect," and to truly learn and follow the Teacher, for good discipline.  My study bible quotes Cyril of Alexandria, who writes that "if the Teacher does not judge, neither must the disciple, for the disciple is guilty of worse sins than those for which he judges others."  Jesus' teaching makes it clear that if we are to grow in discipleship, it is the only true preparation for helping others to do so.  It's also a highly profound psychological insight, and a teaching on the benefits of humility and self-knowledge -- next-to-impossible without the work of discipleship.  Such work of acknowledging our own imperfections -- and working to correct them -- is the only standard by which we grow in mercy to truly help others, rather simply practicing bad judgment.  We can see at any time an abundance of finger-pointing by those apparently unaware of their own far deeper flaws than the one whom they accuse.

"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."   Here is a comment on what it is to be "pure" or "pure in heart."  It's about a kind of consistency from the inner to the outer, and starts with what we truly love, what our treasure is.  Everything flows from there.  Therefore it is the care of the heart that is the true measure of a disciple.

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and 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 the 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."  My study bible says that hearing the gospel alone isn't enough.  Salvation isn't based on hearing alone nor faith alone, but also on doing the things spoken by Christ (see James 2:24).  That is, our faith also determines our acts, what we do, what we choose.  Faith asks us to follow through.  We think, we change, we adjust, we grow.  A life lived on the basis of His commandments is one built on the rock of Christ -- a true safety and security running deep within the self, the heart.

What is true spiritual discipline?  Clearly, as Christ's words tell us, it is one that is built from the heart and is reflected through one's behavior and choices.  This isn't about impressing others, or about the picture that is reflected back at us through others' eyes and judgments.  Jesus Himself was harshly judged!  Instead, Jesus is talking about a real purity of the heart that comes from discipleship, and it is what is truly in the heart that bears the fruit that is important.  What do we nurture?  What do we treasure?  Do we take His words seriously?   Do we try to find insight as to the ways in which we may apply these things in our own lives and through our own choices?  Again, a prayerful kind of "work" in doing so constitutes a good form of discipleship.  One may also discuss the teachings one hears with a more experienced and learned follower, a pastor, someone with the grace and mercy that reflects discipleship and inspires trust.  What is important is what we nurture within us, what we ponder, what we treasure.  Discipline is the acknowledgement that this is something we always have more to learn about, that it must touch on our own choices and behaviors, and that there will always be new insights about applying His teachings to our lives, our habits, our choices.  This is a constant, ongoing work.  We're not born as perfect instruments of love and justice and good judgment.  We're not born with the discernment of merciful and humble discipleship.  We grow in these things.  It is what we nurture in the heart that helps us to put into action: words, deeds, even thoughts, that reflect true a discipleship to Christ.  So how do we approach our faith?  Quite obviously, His word is clear on the necessity of good discipleship, on the practice of discernment, and more particularly of the value of mercy and the quality of the heart.  He cautions us about humility and awareness of our own flaws, and asks us to work on them so that we may help others in this growth in the proper way.   He teaches about training, what it means to be a perfectly trained disciple, or "learner."  How do you set yourself on that road today?  What is the lesson you have to learn?  Where your foundation, your true heart?  And how do we truly see and escape our blindness?