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Gospel Reading for September 11, 2026 – Luke 6: 39-42
WASTE OF TIME
Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”
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Sigmund Freud, a world-renowned neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, introduced what is called psychological projection. It is an unconscious psychological defense mechanism where people attribute their own unacceptable or threatening thoughts, feelings, and impulses to someone else as a way of shielding themselves from inner discomfort, guilt, or anxiety.
This may be one reason why we see the splinter in our brother’s eye but do not notice the wooden beam in our own eye. We deny our own flaws by placing them on somebody else.
Whether others truly have flaws or not, Jesus is simply asking us to look at ourselves first before judging others. Better yet, let us focus on examining ourselves, because we cannot force others to change, but we can change ourselves.
Spending our time trying to find fault in others is truly a WASTE OF TIME because we gain nothing from it. It only blinds us to our own faults and prevents us from correcting them.
This may be one reason why Jesus brought up this teaching in today’s Gospel. How can we be saved if we do not see the things we need to change? How can we benefit from his gift of salvation?
Lord Jesus, help us to examine ourselves honestly, correct our own faults first, and become instruments of your love instead of judges of others. Amen.
