The Christian faith is a carnal – embodied – one that uses our senses. We see and hear God present in the liturgy; we touch and taste the body and blood of Christ, and smell the incense present in worship. Jesus, the Son of God, was incarnated. He took on human flesh and, using its senses, saw those around him in need; he listened, spoke, and touched in order to heal. It is no accident that Jesus teaches us through attention to our humanity and how we perceive the world, for it is how he, too, engaged the world.

For example, in today’s Gospel there is an interesting and somewhat paradoxical use of the metaphors of sight. First, Jesus asks if the blind can lead the blind, speaking of those who cannot see at all. But then he admonishes those who notice the splinter in [their] brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in [their] own. This contrast of being able to see, but yet still not being able to see, gets our attention not just for its imagery, but for its purpose. Sight, if wrongly focused, is just as much a problem as blindness in the spiritual life.

It is not just sight that can fail us, however. Presumably, those whom Jesus admonished in the Gospel for “noticing the splinter” were not so much guilty of this perception in and of itself, but because of their vocalization of it. This is the essence of hypocrisy, which involves both pride within oneself and criticism of others. As always, Jesus does not simply scold, and he does not condemn. He convicts, and offers grace, mercy, and a way forward. We are not doomed by our human nature and sin.

In the words of the prophet Sirach in our first reading, The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind. An arrogant heart produces a sharp tongue toward others.

Jesus explains what it looks like to bear good fruit. First, we must recognize our own limitations and sin, taking ownership of our wooden beams and repenting. Seeing ourselves with humility frees us to approach the brokenness of others with grace. Humility within ourselves produces words of encouragement toward others.

Second, as humility and grace abound within us, our ability to produce good fruit grows: A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good. Jesus is telling us how we can achieve what he is commanding us to do: be good, grow in goodness, produce more good – and the upward spiral of virtue continues.

We can take heart that Jesus understands us, and while he is without sin he knows the difficulties that sin causes us. His words, and his sight, are perfect. If we pay attention to them, and follow him as best as we can, someday ours may be too.

(Fr. Michał Pająk, OMI, March 2, 2025)