Franciscan Friar Fr. Paul Gallagher reflects on the Gospel readings for the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time during this Holy Year. Can you envision Jesus speaking to the mixed crowd of apostles, disciples, and the crowd of people who have gathered? Who might have been among that crowd? Why do you think they might have come?
The content is edited by Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Anne Marie Lom and Joe Thiel. The excerpts from the Sunday readings are prepared by Joe Thiel. To read or download the complete pdf with excerpts for your prayer, please click here: Franciscan Gospel Reflection March 2 2025. Excerpts are from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Photo: Holy Year Door at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower, San Antonio, Texas
Luke 6:39-45
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.
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Background:
This gospel text is a continuation of Jesus’s instruction to his disciples that began two weeks ago with the blessings and woes. Part of that instruction, known as the Sermon on the Plain, was last week’s gospel text. The focus of that portion of Jesus’ instruction was to love your enemies and do good to those who cannot repay you. In order to better appreciate how today’s text is part of Jesus’ whole instruction, you may want to read the whole instruction, Luke 6:20-49. (The last verses 6:46-49 are omitted entirely from the Sunday Lectionary.)
The human person at the time of Jesus was understood to have three facets, each associated with a part of the body. The eyes and the head were understood as collecting information. The ears and the mouth were the centers of self-expression. Lastly, the hands and feet were the parts of the body that put into action what a person had taken in from the eyes and the head and were now centered in the heart. The authentic person was the one whose three parts were in harmony. They were also aware that some would deliberately disguise their true self in order to win favor or the approval of others.
In the synoptic gospels Jesus is the only person who uses the word hypocrite. In Luke 6:39-42 he uses the term to characterize certain people as misguided teachers. He later calls the crowd hypocrites who know how to accurately read the signs in nature but are unable to predict the present situation. Later in Luke Jesus will once again use the term “hypocrite” to describe the crowd who criticize him for healing a woman on the Sabbath, while they would rescue an ox or donkey on the sabbath if needed (Luke 13:15). In both cases, Jesus challenges the crowd to examine their actions to see what they reveal about their interiors. The challenge to see clearly one’s own life is not something to be undertaken with a blind guide.
Reflection Questions:
- Who are the people who have helped you understand yourself, and your relationship to God?
- Have there been individuals who may have acted like mentors but you eventually discerned that their advice was not truly helpful for you?
- Are there people who look to you as a mentor? How does knowing you have that role for others affect you?
- When you hear Jesus call some people hypocrites, what happens within you?
- What do you hear Jesus saying to you, when he exhorts his disciples to remove the beam in their own eye before removing the splinter in the eye of another?
- Who are the people in your life who can offer words of correction to you? Are there also people who have offered words of correction that cause you to bristle internally? Why might you have the two very different reactions? What wisdom is there for you here?
- Do you know people who have discovered wisdom for themselves in the 12-step and recovery programs? What has been the grace of these programs for them?
- Can you talk to God honestly about your desire to speak your truth of who you are as you come before God, the parts of your life that you find difficult to talk about or let others see, or some other aspect of your life that arose within you from this gospel?
