MONDAY, October 4, 2004 (St. Francis of Assisi)
Luke 6:39-49
He also told them a parable, ‘Can one blind person guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? Disciple is not superior to teacher; but fully trained disciple will be like teacher. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the great log in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out that splinter in your eye,” when you cannot see the great log in your own? Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye. ‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. Every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. Good people draw what is good from the store of goodness in their hearts; bad people draw what is bad from the store of badness. For the words of the mouth flow out of what fills the heart. ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do what I say? ‘Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them—I will show you what such a person is like. Such a person is like the man who, when he built a house, dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But someone who listens and does nothing is like the man who built a house on soil, with no foundations; as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
A Study
William Barclay on this text reminds us of the Hebrew word Charaz that the rabbis use to describe their preaching. Literally, it is "stringing together," as of beads. The preachers of that time were careful not to lose the attention of those [presumably] listening. As this is the end of this section of Jesus' teaching in this gospel, perhaps the authors of the gospel attributed to Luke wanted to ensure that they included all the saying that were attributed to Jesus during that particular time in His walk. Perhaps it was Charaz.
A Reflection
The last snippet in this reading, about the house built on sand, bears a bit of inspection. On coming to the Palestinian countryside, a new resident might begin to believe that it was a desert for twelve months a year. That wasn't the case! Winter rains often came in deluges, causing long the flat stretches of sand -- so invitingly easy for homebuilding -- to become instant torrential rivers.
If a homebuilder didn't know the history of the region, or was lazy or short-sighted, the wide-open stretch of river-bottom was seductive. One could also fault him for a bit of stupidity, as well, for not figuring out why all his neighbors so diligently avoided his chosen homesite!
Jesus wants us to pick and choose, assiduously. He wants us to know why we do a certain thing, admire a certain person, avoid another.
We show our love for Him when we show forth in our days' works the love that lives in our hearts and comes from our lips.
The Collect
Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace gladly to renounce the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
8:09:29 PM 
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