Sunday March 2nd
A man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.
Many people condemn the “me first” attitude as being self-centered, self-serving, or egocentric. In the gospel passage Luke 6:39-45 however, Jesus is telling us to develop a “me first” attitude in the context of personal holiness and not self-aggrandizement.
Today’s gospel Jesus is asking us to take care of our spiritual growth first before others because we cannot give what we do not have.
To illustrate the importance of personal holiness, Jesus used four metaphors:
1. Blind guides. It is very clear that a blind person cannot lead another blind man or both can fall into the precipice. Be a holy person first then you can guide others to be holy too.
2. A good teacher can make good disciples. A good teacher knows how to train his disciples so that the latter can be equal to the former but not surpass his master.
3. A good tree bears good fruit. This is self-explanatory but we often forget it. Parents who tell their children to behave will be in vain when they themselves show misbehavior.
4. From the heart the mouth speaks. What is on the inside will determine what will come out. No matter how a person wants to pretend or to deceive others, sooner or later, the truth will come out through his words or actions. If one harbors grudges and jealousy, it will show in his words and actions. Likewise, if love rules his heart, it will come out in the form of loving words and kind actions.
No one is really without fault. That is why, Jesus is teaching us to forget others’ fault in the meantime so that we can focus on correcting our own. When we try to correct others without first correcting ourselves, we end up sounding as hypocrites and nobody will believe us. The message is to look at others not with critical eyes but with a merciful and forgiving heart.
This Wednesday we begin lent, Ash Wednesday we try to follow Jesus by given good example and encouraging each other.
Lent enables Christians to take a special pause and reflect on their spiritual journey. It teaches us the importance of repentance, self-discipline, and putting others before ourselves. It encourages us to practice internal prayer and recognize our need for God in our lives. It provides an opportunity to draw nearer to God through sincere contemplation and prayerful meditation.