BLINDNESS TO OUR SINS MAKES US BLIND GUIDES

20150911 BLINDNESS TO OUR SINS MAKES US BLIND GUIDES

Readings at Mass

First reading

1 Timothy 1:1-2,12-14 ©

From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus appointed by the command of God our saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, true child of mine in the faith; wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me into his service even though I used to be a blasphemer and did all I could to injure and discredit the faith. Mercy, however, was shown me, because until I became a believer I had been acting in ignorance; and the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus.

Psalm

Psalm 15:1-2,5,7-8,11 ©

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.

  I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’

O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;

  it is you yourself who are my prize.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,

  who even at night directs my heart.

I keep the Lord ever in my sight:

  since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path of life,

  the fullness of joy in your presence,

  at your right hand happiness for ever.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps147:12,15

Alleluia, alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He sends out his word to the earth.

Alleluia!

Or

Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:

consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 6:39-42 ©

Jesus told a parable to the disciples, ‘Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.’

BLINDNESS TO OUR SINS MAKES US BLIND GUIDES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 Tim 1:1-2; 12-14; Lk 6:39-42

Whether as parents or Church leaders, we are called to be guides; shepherds and teachers of the flock under our care. As such, leaders have tremendous responsibility for those under their care.  Whatever they do or say have great influence on others.  They can enrich and empower lives, or destroy them by leading their charges down the wrong path.  Leaders therefore are presumed to have a clear vision of life, wisdom, right principles of conduct and be living in the truth with respect to their moral life.  They are not only leaders but teachers in their words and actions.  Leaders must be exemplary so that others can imitate their good examples.  But how can we be their guides when we ourselves are blind?  Indeed, Jesus challenges us in today’s gospel, “Can one blind man guide another?  Surely both will fall into a pit?” In what ways are leaders blind?

Knowing yourself is thus a pre-requisite of leadership. This is what Jesus is instructing us in the gospel.  Leaders must be clear of their personal intentions for serving in leadership roles. Quite often, many vie for leadership all in the name of service and progress.  Yet, this assumed nobility is often rooted in self-interest, namely, the quest for power, control, wealth, status and recognition.  More often than not, we aspire for leadership in order to feel secure about ourselves. Indeed, few serve devoid of personal interests.  Most of us have mixed motives in leadership.  But if we are not even aware of our real or even hidden agenda, we can delude ourselves into believing that we are so selfless when we are in fact acting from personal gain.  The fact remains that true leaders must be selfless.  Reward, especially material reward or even honour, cannot be the primary reason for leadership.

Secondly, leadership is blind when leaders see leadership purely in economic and political terms. Good leadership is more than mere astute management or productivity. All leaders, whether they like it or not, have a moral role to play in any organization. Unfortunately, because of a bankruptcy in morality, the world has even separated economic and political leadership from moral leadership.  Of course for religious leadership to remain credible, moral leadership is the most decisive factor.  Yet, if a leader does not live a moral life and a life of integrity and honesty, regardless whether he is in corporate or religious life, he could actually cause more harm than good, even if he were effective in his job.  As we know, there are many eloquent and intelligent leaders who have cheated the country or their organization of money by the abuse of their powers.  As it is said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Indeed, in many ways we are blind and inadequate to lead others.  If we ourselves are unable to overcome our pride, egotism and prejudice, how can we help others to overcome their sins and imperfections? If we cannot exercise self-discipline in our own lives, how can we help others to attain self-discipline, whether it comes to spiritual life e.g. prayer or material things like food?  If we cannot practise detachment by conquering our greed and desire, how can we help others to overcome their lust and attachment to the world?  If we have not yet learned how to forgive others, how can we preach forgiveness to others?  In a nutshell, if our lives are not in order, how can we help others to manage their lives?  In an apt manner, Jesus said, “The disciple is not superior to his teacher.”

Knowing how weak, ignorant and sinful we are, does it mean that we cannot lead at all, since we are far from being masters ourselves?  Nay, we need not be saints or be perfect before we can lead.  We remain weak and sinful so that we can remain humble in judging others.  What is of utmost importance is that we must at least be aware of our sinfulness.  In other words, we must not be ignorant of our pride, ego and sins. The real blindness that is condemned by Jesus is not simply that we are ignorant of our sins and prejudices.  It is a denial of our sins and blindness.  Being willfully blind is to choose not to see.  The real blindness is that we are not perceptive of our sins and the grace of God.

Such blindness will lead to a greater form of blindness, which is a judgmental spirit.  Lacking awareness of our own sins, our prejudices and pride, we judge others wrongly and uncharitably. The reality is that if we have been hurt and have yet to heal or forgiven those who have hurt us, or accepted failures in our lives, then we tend to see others through our past brokenness. Our past relationships and experiences prevent us from being open to the new reality before us.  So judgementalism proceeds from one whose past has clouded his ability to be objective in judging people and situations.  That is why those who are really blind are always trying to correct others because they cannot see clearly.  What is even more insidious is that judgmental people tend to mix only with their own kind.  We reinforce each other’s prejudices.  We take comfort that others share the same negative judgment as us.  As a result, “both will end up in the pit.”  It is a case of the blind leading the blind.

Indeed, before experiencing the mercy and love of Christ, Paul claimed he was “acting in ignorance.”  The implication is that unless we become aware of God’s mercy and love, we will not realize our sinfulness.  So even before we can speak of removing our blindness, what is needed in the first place is a deep experience of the love and mercy of God.  Only when we, like St Paul, experience how merciful and loving God is towards us in Christ, can we come to the full realization of our sinfulness and the need for conversion.  As Paul said, “mercy was shown to me … and the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus.”

Indeed, the parable of the blind guide reminds us that we can only teach others what we have been taught ourselves. We cannot help others overcome their faults unless we have become aware of our faults and overcome them.  It behooves us therefore to listen to the voice of our master.  As Jesus reminds us, “the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher.”  So we need to sit at the feet of our master so that we can be enlightened on our faults and most of all, His divine grace, which heals us of our brokenness.   Without the experience of sin and grace, we will not have a clear vision of conquering our sins and living a life of truth, justice and love.  Only through the grace of God and sincere repentance can we remove the plank from our eyes, which will then enable us to help others effectively.

In the final analysis, we must realize that leadership is not so much something we take upon ourselves but that it is fundamentally a calling, a conviction that God has given us the charisms to serve and to serve in that manner.  That is how St Paul understood his leadership.  He did not volunteer to be a leader or even thought himself fit to be one.  Rather he humbly admitted, “ I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me into his service even though I used to be a blasphemer and did all I could to injure and discredit the faith.“ So leadership really is a gift from God to His people and therefore it is His choice, not ours.

This also means that because we know that we are weak and imperfect in our spiritual life and even at times fail morally, we need to turn to God who is always faithful to His anointed one.  God will supply the wisdom, strength and grace to those whom He has appointed, provided they turn to Him.  So, conscious of our limitations, let us together with the psalmist make God our portion and inheritance. He must be the only reason for us to serve as leaders, for we know that Christ is the leader since He said, “The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher.”  And so we pray, “You are my inheritance, O Lord.  Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the Lord, ’My Lord are you.’ O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. I bless the Lord who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the Lord ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. “

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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