A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher

 

 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 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 

 

In yesterday's reading, we continued reading what is called the Sermon on the Plain (begun in this reading):  "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."  My study bible comments that Christ does not judge anyone (John 8:15, 12:47).  So, therefore, St. Cyril of Alexandria writes, "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."

"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."  This is a very wise teaching about discernment and experience, and also about mutual correction among believers.  Without knowing ourselves and our own flaws, and having had the experience of correction, repentance, and personal change, how can we truly help others?  How can we "see" clearly to correct others.  Hypocrisy prevents us from true insight and giving true assistance, often projecting our own flaws onto others if we are not self-aware.  Self-knowledge, repentance, and change has been the goal of monastic life from Christianity's early beginnings.

"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."  Again, this is a call to self-knowledge and transformation within the workings of grace and repentance.  Jesus says that "out of the abundance of the heart" one's "mouth speaks."  This reflects a disciple's true work of faith within the place of the heart.  He asks us for an awareness of our true state, and the ongoing work of discipleship toward this goal of "good treasure of the heart."

"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 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."  My study bible comments that hearing the gospel alone is not enough.  Salvation is based not on hearing alone, nor on faith alone, but also on doing the things spoken by Christ (see James 2:24). 

Jesus speaks of the process of ongoing repentance, the work of discipleship.  This is clearly a call to self-knowledge, of being aware of one's own flaws, and doing something about it.  The earliest forms of confession were not simply about confessing one's sin, but -- in a certain sense prefiguring psychotherapy -- coming to know oneself.  That is, expressing to a confessor all the things going on in one's life.  Today, possibly particularly in the Orthodox tradition, this remains a part of spiritual discipleship, of having a spiritual elder who helps guide the path of Christian faith.  That person is called an "elder" not because of age necessarily, but precisely because of spiritual experience.  That is, a familiarity with one's own flaws and shortcomings, and what repentance means in practice.  Christ speaks most tellingly of the condition of the heart, and implies clearly that this is something for which we are responsible.  To be sure, we cannot control all the factors in our lives that have contributed to our shortcomings, character flaws, hurts, learned responses, and even damage to the soul.  But discipleship means taking ownership and responsibility for what we do with these things, how we seek out, through our faith, to live our lives and to be consciously aware of the choices we make.  So much so, that it is the depth of the heart that Christ stresses in today's part of the Sermon on the Plain.  Christ asks us to understand that growth in the image of God, in "God-likeness," is what discipleship is all about.  He teaches us that we are, in fact, far more capable of growth, change, and flexibility than we think.  We are not carved in stone at birth, or through our experiences.  But it is the grace and help of the Teacher that helps us to become more "like Him."  This is what our faith teaches us.  Let us remember, when we pray, that ultimately it is the state of the heart that produces what we do in life.  Therefore we take care of the heart, pruning what needs pruning, developing what needs developing, and hopefully growing in the fruits of the Spirit which He asks of us.