Commentary on the Gospel of
In to-day’s and tomorrow’s extracts from the gospel of Luke we hear various aspects of Jesus’ teaching on discipleship.
‘Can one blind man guide another? Surely, both will fall into the pit?’ In this first part of the parable Jesus is emphasising the importance of choosing the right teacher. For a disciple or pupil to learn anything well in Jesus’ time and place the teacher was all important, for most learning was transmitted by the words and example of the teacher, rather than by scrolls or ‘books’. A teacher without integrity, or knowledge of his subject would not be able to pass on very much to his pupil (disciple). Similarly, the pupil or disciple would not be able to learn unless he/she had an open mind, an open heart and a willingness to ‘sit at the feet’ of the teacher.
Those wanting to be disciples of Jesus needed a willingness to be with him, to listen to and ponder his words, to experience the power of his healing and liberating ministry and to witness his compassion for the poor and the outcast. We might ask ourselves if we are willing to do the same to become true disciples of Jesus?
