In the First Reading from Sirach 27:4-7, we are told that speech reveals faults and true character. Words reveal the thoughts of the person. The second Reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians reminds us that through Jesus, we have victory over death. In the Gospel according to Luke Jesus teaches that we must address our own faults before correcting others.
“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” This is the question posed by Jesus in the Gospel today. To be blind is a very unfortunate situation but to be a blind guide is worse and worse still to be a blind follower of a blind leader. Jesus depicts a very unfortunate and dangerous scenario where both are blind and are not aware of their own blindness and the blindness of the other. Both are also oblivious of the danger they are in. They are unaware that they are likely to fall into a pit.
The world is full of blindness. There is blindness in the political, social, religious spheres. The world is blindly waging senseless wars, all leading to destruction. How many young people are blindly getting into marriages and sooner than later fall into the pit of divorce? How many religious blindly go through formation only to fall into the pit, sometimes with the sheep they lead? How often in the political choices blind voters vote for blind leaders only to fall together into the same pit? How many of our young people are blindly following their blind peers who are abusing drugs into the abyss of destruction? We do not seem to see the evil, injustice and abuse around us. We are often blind to the plight of poor people around us.
Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty on 31 December 2024. Capital punishment is a cruel, inhumane, and degrading form of punishment which violates the right to life. Blind as we are, we are celebrating this development while at the same time, the culture of death, the violation of human dignity by the same system continues. Blind Guides, Blind followers! How can we be healed of our blindness? Jesus invites us to acknowledge that we are blind. He wants us to be humble and stop being judgmental and allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten us.
Jesus calls on us to focus on our blindness and the need to change ourselves first before focusing on others. Many of us are busy trying to change the world outside and forgetting our own world. Change, like charity begins at home. Jesus invites us today to delve more into ourselves, with him as our guide journey towards the light and life eternal.
These readings come just before we start the holy season of Lent this Wednesday as Jesus teaches us how to behave as his disciples. We are warned against being judgmental. A story is told about the Gossip Chair. A church had a special chair labelled “For Those Who Have Never Judged Anyone.” It remained empty every Sunday.