TRINITY IV

June 27, 2010

St. Augustine Anglican Church

“Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”

The Rev. Gerald Parks +

          We read often today of religious leaders whose personal failings have overshadowed any good thing of which their ministries might have been capable.  This is nothing new, although the age of instant information in which we live may make it seem so.  Pastors and teachers have always been subject to all the same temptations as the rest of us, and some have failed to live up to their vows, and to the expectations of those whose lives they touch.  Such things are always lamentable, and often hurtful as well, but before we rush to pass judgment, as many have done, on weaknesses that have roots deep in all of us, we need to look to and remember our Lord’s words, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” (Luke 6:37)  Only God can convict and condemn; only God can bring about repentance and salvation.

          Today’s Gospel (Luke 6:36-42) is a lesson on mercy, but it is more than that.  Among religious people generally there is often a tendency to ignore in themselves the very faults and failings which they are ever ready to find in others.  And nowhere is that tendency stronger or more pronounced than among the clergy: those pastors and teachers charged with the duty to teach and convert.  It should be no surprise, then, that our Lord’s question, “Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39), although directed to all the faithful in general, is more especially aimed at those whose job it is to lead them.

          Spiritual blindness is a terrible disease of the soul.  Just as physical blindness can cut us off from the enjoyment of an independent and full life; so spiritual blindness prevents us from having a full and complete relationship with Christ.  The difference is: while physical blindness is not something we choose for ourselves, and can often be medically treated and even cured, spiritual blindness is completely voluntary on our part, and a cure can come only when we have a change of heart, experience repentance and amend our life.

          One of the unfortunate things about spiritual blindness, though, is that people who suffer from its effects are seldom (if ever) aware of their affliction.  And if they are ever questioned about their judgments of other people their answer comes easily to their lips: other people are wrong.  Now, it should come as no great surprise to us that Christianity is not really about our opinions as to who is right and who is wrong.  Sin is an equal opportunity afflicter, and we are none of us free of it; therefore, we are all sinners, and all wrong in God’s sight.  We cannot justify ourselves to God by our prideful judgments of others, nor can we escape God’s judgment for our sins by simply believing we are above such judgment.

          Our Lord’s second question in today’s Gospel further explains the first: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Luke 6:41)  That is very much like an answer Jesus gave when He was asked what should be done to the woman caught in adultery: “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7)  The key words are “without sin.”

          Jesus said, “Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)  Do we take that to mean that we should never judge or condemn anyone for their crimes against society, as some have suggested – that we should just turn a “blind eye” to all the violence and terror that surrounds us, and forgive everyone for anything?  I don’t believe so.  What our Lord meant was what he said, “Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam that is in thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.” (Luke 6:42)

          Our duty as Christians and (supposedly) “God fearing people,” is not to find fault and scandal with the perceived shortcomings of others.  Our primary duty, and one we cannot neglect, is to live in this life so as to be worthy of Christ’s promises in the next; and to help others whenever possible to do the same.  That is a full time job and allows for no shortcuts.  But the truth is we are not very good at it.  There seems to be something so alluring for us about looking down our noses and making those little “tsk, tsk” sounds over what we see as our neighbors’ bad behavior and errors of judgment, that we revel in it, all the while blinding ourselves to our own faults, which are often far worse.  Jesus tells us to stop it, saying, “For with the same measure that ye mete out withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)

          But in today’s society, being conscious of our own failings is not easy.  We are told to be who we are, to celebrate our differences, and to live our lives to the full, in whatever way seems best to us.  Sin is not spoken of, of course, because when we embrace everything we do as virtuous and good, we negate the very existence of something so restrictive and negative to our psyches as the very idea of sin is thought to be.  So we are pampered and encouraged in all that we do, with the end being to make us more secure and fulfilled, living lives unhampered by things such as values or virtue.  This may indeed be the “golden age” -  a “brave new world” in which we live - this sinless society of virtueless “virtues,” but it has given us a blind spot when it comes to the direction we are headed, and what we will find when we get there.  Our Lord asks a simple question, but it speaks volumes: “Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall onto the ditch?”  I think we know the answer to that.