Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 02nd March 2025
Whenever we see a political debate during an election campaign, we normally witness politicians from different sides condemning and criticising each other. They each believe that they are right and will say whatever it takes to get their message across. You and I may never get the chance to appear on television to express our opinion. However, there probably have been and are times when we judge, criticise and perhaps even condemn others when their opinion differs from our own. In the gospel this Sunday, Jesus warns us about judging others while ignoring our own failings, faults and shortcomings.
Jesus uses the image and phrase of the blind leading the blind. We mean no disrespect or prejudice to anyone who is blind or visually impaired, but the image is very easily understood and grasped. How often have we experienced someone criticising us for our mistakes while ignoring their own failings? And, on the other hand, how often have we in our turn taken pleasure in pointing out to another person the error of their ways, while conveniently covering up or forgetting our own mistakes?
The warning from Jesus about pointing out the splinter in another’s eye while ignoring the one in our own is very challenging to hear. But more of a challenge to each of us is that we do something to remove the splinter from our own eye before we criticise others!