Commentary on the readings for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In the central part of the "sermon on the plain", Jesus had opened to his disciples and to the pagans who listened to him the way to become Sons of the Most High and to be merciful like the Father. Central words of Jesus' message and of Luke's Gospel. Jesus had expressed in a positive way the program of life of his disciples, with seventeen exhortative imperatives: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who slander you; offer your cheek, do not deny him the robe, give to him who asks you, do not demand from him who takes from you; do unto men as you would have them do unto you, love, do, lend, be merciful, do not judge, forgive, give, measure abundantly". In the next part of his discourse, Jesus warns them about possible spiritual dangers in their relationship with God and with their brothers and sisters in the faith.
If they do not accept the way of Mercy, and follow other ways, or consider themselves better than others, or think they are better than the Master, then they will be like blind men, and if they act as a guide they will be blind leading other blind men. Jesus uses this image in Matthew speaking of the Pharisees. In Luke, Jesus uses it for his disciples. Thus we understand that the deviations of the Pharisees are not their exclusive domain, they can also happen to Christians. In fraternal relationships, those who do not follow the path of non-judgment and non-condemnation easily fall into the temptation of wanting perfection for their brothers without specks in their eyes, but also without reference to God and his mercy. This temptation is comparable to having a beam in one's eye, which blinds.
Paul writes to the Philippians that he sees himself as ".a Jew, son of Jews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness arising from the observance of the Law, blameless". But after knowing Christ he considers all these things to be "a loss before the sublimity of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have lost all things, and count them as garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.". If we abandon the pursuit of perfection in our own strength and embrace the path of the sublimity of the knowledge of Christ, then we can help a brother remove the speck from his eye. We are no longer blind. Thus we bear good fruits of God's love, received and given, which undoubtedly reveal to us that the tree is good, even if it is flawed. Jesus assures us that from the good treasure of the good man's heart good works and words and fruits of the Spirit are born:"love, joy, peace, magnanimity, benevolence, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control".
Homily on the readings for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaa small one-minute reflection for these readings.
