Reading 1
1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race,
but only one wins the prize?
Run so as to win.
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way.
They do it to win a perishable crown,
but we an imperishable one.
Thus I do not run aimlessly;
I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
No, I drive my body and train it,
for fear that, after having preached to others,
I myself should be disqualified.
Gospel
Lk 6:39-42
Jesus told his disciples a parable:
"Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,'
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother's eye."
Meditation: Luke 6:39-42
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?” (Luke 6:42)
Why do we find it so much easier to point out the faults of others instead of dealing with our own weaknesses? On the road to work, other drivers are careless and inconsiderate. Children acting up in public must have bad parents. People who never volunteer must be selfish. And what kind of mother sends her child off to school without a lunch? We can easily pass our days issuing a stream of faultfinding and petty criticism. Why is this?
Perhaps the answer lies in our inability to recognize the beam in our own eyes. But rather than go on a beam-hunting expedition, the best thing we can do is let God show us how he looks at us. After all, his eyes are perfectly clear of any specks and beams! That means he can teach us a lot when it comes to the way we look at ourselves—and at each other.
So how does God look at us? Well, to start with, he loves us intimately, unconditionally, and unfailingly (Jeremiah 1:5). He has engraved us on the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:16). He sweeps away our transgressions “like a cloud” (Isaiah 44:22). He looks at us with compassion and concern, not with a cold calculation of all of our faults and misdeeds. He rejoices with us in our successes and mourns over our failures. And best of all, he will never abandon us (Hosea 11:9).
Do you believe it? Then trust him. Go ahead and let him show you the beam in your eye. He won’t condemn you. He won’t love you any less. He won’t change his plans for you. Of course, what you see may sting a bit, but that’s okay. A skilled surgeon, God knows how to remove that beam with as little discomfort as possible. All he wants to do is help you so that you can see the people around you more clearly—in the light of his love and mercy.
“Holy Spirit, help me lower my defenses today so that you can search me and know my heart. I trust in your love for me. Come and teach me how to love everyone around me.”
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